Boulders damage hydel project, 8 families flee

PITHORAGARH: Eight families of Lodhbagar village in the Baram area of Munsiyari subdivision had to flee their homes and operation of the nearby 5 MW Himalaya hydroelectric project had to be stopped after heavy boulders and debris fell on the village last evening, damaging a water pipeline of the project and leading to flooding.

Activists of the All India Kisan Sabha burn an effigy of Chief Minister Harish Rawat near Ramnagar on Saturday against the decision of the state government to grant the urban body status to Bindukhatta. A Tribune photo

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, March 22

Eight families of Lodhbagar village in the Baram area of Munsiyari subdivision had to flee their homes and operation of the nearby 5 MW Himalaya hydroelectric project had to be stopped after heavy boulders and debris fell on the village last evening, damaging a water pipeline of the project and leading to flooding.

According to reports, heavy boulders and debris from an under-construction road from Danibagar to Lodh fell on the village creating panic among villagers and forcing them to flee. “We are going to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office at Munsiyari to lodge our complaint. The road construction workers are not taking care of nearby villages. Boulders from the construction site are falling everyday creating fear among villagers,” said Bhagat Ram, a resident of Lodhbagar village.

According to sources in the hydro-electricity company, the company had to stop electricity generation in its 5 MW plant as boulders damaged water pipelines leading to flooding of Lodhbagar village. “Water that started flowing with force from the pipelines flooded the village situated 80 metres down the hydroelectric scheme, forcing villagers to flee,” said a spokesperson for the hydropower company.

Gram pradhans demand LAD funds

The gram pradhan of the Gangolihat block today submitted a memorandum to the Chief Development Officer of the district demanding local area development (LAD) funds. He threatened to launch an agitation if their demand was not met.

Gram pradhans of the Gangolihat development block at a meeting today resented withdrawal of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) by the Centre. They lamented that the withdrawal of MNREGA funds would set the clock back on development and push the villages to their pre-2000 condition.

“Due to discontinuation of funds, enough jobs are not being generated for villagers. Development works in villages are pending for the last one year. A grant of Rs 1 crore to each village will empower gram pradhans to rescue the situation,” said Chandrashekhar Pant, gram pradhan ofr Agrun village.

The assembled gram pradhans demanded an honorarium of Rs 30,000 per month on the lines of that being given to MLAs. “We have also demanded that works under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) sanctioned to a particular village and all works related to education be managed through a committee presided over by the gram pradhan concerned,” said Pant.

Meanwhile, residents of Ramnagar, particularly farmers are opposing the decision of the state government to grant the nagar palika status to Bindukhatta. Workers of the All India Kisan Sabha burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Harish Rawat near Ramnagar yesterday in protest against the government move.