Living near power unit for 40 years, Panipat villagers to shift at last

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, December 31

The new year is set to finally bring relief to residents of Panipat’s Khukhrain village, who have been waiting to shift to a new location for the last 40 years. The villagers of Khukhrain, adjoining Panipat Thermal Power Station (PTPS) and a cement plant, have now been promised by the district administration that they would be moved out by January 31.

The power plant was set up in 1979 while the cement unit came up in 2005-06.

The villagers have been living in a pathetic condition due to the proximity to the two plants. The water discharged by the thermal plant raised the watertable over the years, causing walls of houses to develop cracks, one of its members is not suffering from respiratory or skin disease, said a villager and former block samiti member, Surender Kalia. The district administration now plans to shift the villagers 2 km away to Shodapur, which will be renamed as “New Khukhrain” village.

Kalia said he and several other villagers met the officials concerned a number of times, and even met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in 2017 over the matter before the assurance came from the district administration. The draw for plots was completed in 2018.

Deputy Commissioner Virender Kumar Dahiya said the delay had resulted due to the construction of roads and the work on supply of electricity and water.

Four chaupals, a community centre and two anganwaris have been set up at the new site, while 80 per cent of the road work has been completed, he said.