Multhan deluge: Four panchayats still cut off

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, May 15

Five days after the penstock of the 25-MW Kundah Pumped (KU) Hydropower Project burst leading to a flood in the Multhan area, four panchayats of Multhan, Dharman, Kothi Kohar and Bara Gram remained cut off from the rest of the state on Tuesday.

Villagers are finding it difficult to take patients to hospitals, besides sending children to schools as debris that came along with gushing water is yet to be cleared off roads.

A penstock is a high diameter pipe, which takes water from the reservoir to hydropower project for running the turbines.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that initially, Baijnath SDM Sanjiv Thakur had directed the hydro company to restore the road. However, the work could not be taken up as a dispute over the compensation amount arose between the affected villagers and the company. The affected villagers wanted the company to deposit the compensation amount into the state exchequer till a detailed inventory of the loss is finalised.

The SDM said the company was now directly negotiating with the affected villagers in accordance with the details of the losses incurred by them. He said he would intervene in case there was a deadlock on the issue.

Talking to The Tribune, Sanjeev Sood, Executive Engineer, HP Public Works Department, said his team was ready to clear the debris from the road on the day of the incident itself, but the villagers stopped the Department’s JCB machines. The villagers were demanding the compensation amount before the start of the work to clear debris, he added.

Sood said on the directions of the SDM, his team started restoration work yesterday. It would take two days for the restoration of the road, he added.

Meanwhile, Akshya Jasrotia, president, Kisan Sabha, said adequate compensation should be paid to affected persons. Jasrotia urged the Chief Minister to visit the spot and ensure that the relief and rehabilitation work is expedited. “The government should also depute a team of senior officers for signing an MoU with the company to ensure that the compensation amount is provided to the villagers without further delay,” he added.

ROAD TO BE RESTORED IN TWO DAYS

On the SDM’s directions, a PWD team has started work to clear debris and it will take two days for the road to be restored. — Sanjeev Sood, Executive Engineer, PWD