The people affected by the World Bank funded Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydro electric project have welcomed the High Court order dated December 5 in the matter of THDC India Limited (THDCIL) versus the government of Uttarakhand.
They state that instead of solving the problem of dam affected, THDCIL had filed a criminal writ petition in the court.
But the court disposed of the matter without entertaining the petition and asked THDCIL to approach the competent civil court adding that the Chamoli district magistrate should endeavour to reconcile the differences between the parties. According to one of the protesters, Rajendra Hatwal, reports are being prepared to take forward the dam work, bypassing policies of environment and rehabilitation.
With the onset of cold weather, when snowfall has already begun in Uttarakhand, people have been sitting on dharna since November 25, stopping the work of the dam. The affected people have sent letters to the authorities consistently for 17 years. However, there has been no resolution and people continue to suffer. The rehabilitation site of Haat village was found to be inadequate. Moreover, nearby environment and culture are being affected in a way from which it is impossible to recover. The problems of the residents of Harsari Tok of Haat village are the same. The affected people have been sitting on a sit-in strike since November 25, stopping the work of Vishnugad-Peepalkoti hydro power project.
THDCIL was also notified about this series of events. The affected people sent them a letter on November 21. Activist Vimal Bhai said that the situation was such that the residents of Haat had to build houses on their own agricultural land cross the Alaknanda in front of Haat without any plan.
They claim that it would have been better had they been resettled as planned in an adequate residential settlement – a settlement where water, electricity, schools, temples, hospitals, post offices, banks and other facilities would be available. They say that it is written in the rehabilitation policy that the displacement will raise the standard of living of the displaced. Instead, their standard of living has sharply deteriorated.
Their houses are promoted by World Bank as successful rehabilitation whereas the reality is that most of the houses are built by taking loans while some are still incomplete, said the activist.
The people of Haat village and Harsari Tok are demanding the right to live respectfully. The excessive and illegal blasting should be stopped so that there is no harm to their houses, water resources, farms and environment.
Compensation for the losses they have incurred till date, crop compensation, replenishing of dried water sources and repairing of cracks incurred by the houses due to excessive blasting should be done immediately by THDCIL.
Water, electricity, schools, temples, hospitals, post offices, bank access routes and other facilities should be made available to the residents of the displaced Haat village. The villagers are also demanding legal protection in the event of false lawsuits filed by the company in the future.