Renuka dam oustees seek better rehab deal

The Renuka dam oustees have demanded an alternative site for their rehabilitation as most of the land purchased for the families displaced by the multi-crore project at Tokyo village in Sirmaur district has been washed away in the ongoing monsoon season.

The affected people lamented that it was impossible for them to reside in such an area. These issues, along with other problems being faced by the affected families, were deliberated during a meeting of the Jan Sangharsh Samiti held at Renukaji last evening.

The oustees also took out a protest march from the Panchayat Bhawan till the dam office at Renukaji to press for their demands.

Resenting the alleged indifferent attitude of the authorities of the project in resolving their long-pending issues, the Jan Sangharsh Samiti has stepped up its campaign for timely relief and rehabilitation.

Expressed concern over the delay in releasing the list of homeless families, samiti chairman Yogendra Kapil said last year a list of 95 people was released. “But one year later, the dam management has not released the list of remaining people who will be rendered homeless,” he added. “Though every family living in the submergence area is given the status of completely displaced family, the dam authority is adopting a lax attitude towards their rehabilitation and resettlement,” Kapil said during a meeting of the committee convened.

The affected people lamented that Rs 28 lakh being given to each displaced family for house construction was very less. “They should be provided the amount equivalent to the estimate worked out by the Public Works Department,” stated Kapil.

The committee also expressed concern over the fact that after the construction of the dam, the distance of Renukaji from Sangrah Road will increase by 12 to 14 km. To facilitate the residents, the Jan Sangharsh Samiti had raised a demand to construct a bridge between Mohtu and Chamiyana, which would cut the distance to 4 km.

The committee has given one month’s time to the dam management to address these pending issues, failing which the Sangharsh Samiti will intensify the stir.

Sangharsh Committee convener Pratap Singh Tomar and general secretary Sanjay Chauhan also expressed concern over the fact that 38 bighas of land at Tanoshi village and 3 bighas each at Malahan and Khurkan had not been acquired. Apart from this, the residents whose houses are near the danger mark or others who are residing since years on the forest land should also be given the status of fully displaced, they demanded.

Notably, 1,508 hectares of land would be submerged in the Rs 6,947-crore project, which envisages the construction of a 148-m high rock-filled dam on the Giri river at Dadahu in Sirmaur district and a powerhouse. A 24-km tunnel would be constructed for the project.

The Union Government would contribute 90 per cent of the project cost. As many as 25 panchayats, comprising 41 villages and 7,000 people, will be affected by the project, while 346 families have been rendered homeless.