Falling boulders pose threat to Dummar residents

Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, November 23

Residents of Dummar village in Munsiyari subdivision have urged the micro hydroelectricity department not to use heavy blasting material at the Surinagar electricity project as their village is receiving shooting stones and boulders during the day time. The department is constructing the second phase of Surinagar electricity project.

“We had signed an agreement with the department for not using heavy blasting material. However, the department did not stop doing so, which has led to the falling of boulders and mudslide in the village ,” said Pankaj Singh, gram pradhan of the Dummar village.

He said the village had been included in the disaster affected villages category after the 2013 natural disaster as villages had received heavy mudslides from these mountains. “Keeping in mind that situation, we have signed an agreement with the company for not using heavy blasting material at the site, but the company is going against the agreement,” said the gram pradhan.

Villagers have threatened that if shooting stones and mud debris continue to fall in their fields, they will resort to an indefinite agitation.

The general manager of micro hydroelectricity department has said that there is no threat to the village on construction of the project as the department is taking full caution on blasting site. “The already sensitive village will be taken extra care while constructing the project,” said GS Budiyal, deputy general manager of the micro hydroelectricity department.