Renukaji dam oustees unhappy over land chosen for rehabilitation

Ambika Sharma

Solan, April 11

A year after the the district administration identified the families affected by the Renukaji Dam project, they are waiting to be properly rehabilitated.

Rs 1,000 cr provided to affected

• The project envisages the construction of a 148-m high rock fill dam on the Giri at Dadahu in Sirmaur district and a powerhouse
• The estimated cost of the project was Rs 6,947 crore in 2018. It will generate 40 MW power during the peak flow. Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (HPPCL) is executing the project
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid its foundation stone in 2021
• The acquisition of land for the project has been completed and Rs 2,800 crore has been set aside for the purpose
• A sum of Rs 1,000 crore has been provided to the affected families while Rs 635 crore is being given to the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority

The district administration has declared 1,362 families as affected by the project, while 95 families were declared homeless by the District Collector last year in the first phase of the Renukaji multipurpose dam project.

As per the relief and rehabilitation policy of the project, the displaced families will be given houses that are to be constructed on land acquired in the four villages — Tokion, Sainwala, Amboa and Chakli.

The Renukaji Dam Sangharsh Samiti (RDSS), unhappy with the rehabilitation sites at the four villages, has been repeatedly making representations to the district administration to move them to other places.

RDSS chairman Yogendra Kapila said, “The land identified at Chakli and Amboa is on a slope, while there are disputes regarding the land selected at Sainwala and unauthorised encroachments at Amboa village. The allotment of such land will aggravate our hardships.”

RDSS is pressing for land to be granted to them in urban areas, so they could could earn some rental income there.

Kapila added that several issues of concern had not been resolved, including the problems of the families who did not own land and were tilling others’ land.

“They have been rendered unemployed and should be suitably rehabilitated with the provision of employment,” he said. “Besides, some families who were residing on the forest land for years and earned their livelihood through agriculture had failed to get any compensation. As they were residing here for decades, it was unfair to deny them adequate employment and rehabilitation.” He said despite the issue being taken up with the dam authorities, nothing concrete has been done in his regard.

He rued the fact while that it took nearly 15 long years to identify the families affected by the project, the process of rehabilitation is yet to begin.

Sirmaur Deputy Commissioner Sumit Khimta said, “A representation was given to me by the Renukaji Dam Sangharsh Samiti where they have demanded another site for rehabilitation along with some other issues. I have sought a report from the Revenue Department as well as the dam authorities and will resolve the issue by holding a joint meeting with all stakeholders soon after receiving the report.”

It may be noted that as much as 1,508 hectares of land would submerge in the dam reservoir, while a 24-km tunnel would be constructed for it. The Union Government would contribute 90 per cent of the project cost. As many as 25 panchayats, comprising 41 villages, would be affected by the project.

The project envisages the construction of a 148-m high rock fill dam on the Giri river at Dadahu in Sirmaur district and a powerhouse. The cost of the project was estimated to be Rs 6,947 crore in 2018. It will generate 40 MW power during the peak flow. Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd is executing the project, whose foundation stone had been laid in 2021.

The acquisition of land for the project has been completed, for which a sum of Rs 2,800 crore was set aside. Rs 1,000 crore has been disbursed to the affected families, and Rs 635 crore is being given to the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority.