Lok Sangathan opposes hydro power project

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 30

The Mahakali Lok Sangathan, an organisation working for the development of Mahakali valley in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, has opposed the  Pancheshwar multipurpose project, an ambitious joint hydro power venture of India and Nepal. 

Members said the project would displace people and cause destruction to the environment.

They added that the project would result in losses and those displaced would not be rehabilitated.  “To date, the rehabilitation of the people displaced from Tehri has not been completed. Climate change and its dangerous consequences are staring us in the face and no one seems to be worried about it,” said Vimal Bhai, who has been opposing the Pancheshwar project tooth and nail and has also been at the forefront of anti-Tehri Dam agitation in the past.

Kumaon’s densest forests and prime agriculture land all are faced with the direct or indirect submergence or other related impacts. ”Markets of Jhoolaghat-Jauljibi, symbols of Indo-Nepal socio cultural ties are facing submergence. There are many such issues, which have been ignored by the Environment Assessment Committee in its present assessment. Social Impact Assessment, which has been done in a haste, is completely farcical and has been blindly accepted by the committee without any verification,” stated Anil Karki, member of the Mahakali Lok Sangathan.

The government is only pushing for displacement and environment destruction. We will expose their wrongdoing and bring out the truth,” Anil Karki said.

The sangathan has been opposing the mammoth project and has sought re-conduct of the public hearing alleging that such hearing should only be done after the local villagers are given adequate information about Environment Impact Assessment, Environment Management Plan and Social Impact Assessment reports in local languages. 

The Pancheshwar 5,040 MW project is a joint venture of India and Nepal and is proposed on the Mahakali river that forms the international boundary between the two countries. Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh, Champawat and Almora are the three districts to be affected on Indian side.