The Uttarakhand State Government has continued to maintain that hydro power projects are vital for facilitating the desired level of development.
However, the residents who have been affected in the recent disaster allege that the Government is manipulating facts and maintaining this stance for ulterior benefits to politicians and companies involved in construction of dams and related works. People in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand which bore the brunt of the disaster in June have continued to protest against hydro power projects, which they believe are responsible for exacerbating the damage from floods and landslides in the region.
According to Vimal Bhai of Matu Jansangathan, in Uttarakhand, local opposition to dams is a reality especially after the recent disaster as now those affected view the dams as time bombs which can 'explode' unpredictably. The devastation was particularly higher in areas that house hydro electric projects (HEPs) and in places where activities related to HEPs are going on.
Areas downstream of big HEPs in the Ganga valley like Vishnuprayag HEP on Alaknanda, Phata-Buyong HEP, Singoli-Bhatwari HEP on Mandakini, and the Srinagar HEP on Alaknanda, suffered the most. On the weekend, hundreds of people from areas affected by these projects rallied to the office of the sub-divisional magistrate and demanded that the company responsible pay compensation for the damage wreaked allegedly by the Vishnuprayag HEP.
Vimal Bhai said, "We have sent a letter to the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Uttarakhand Government urging the two to comply with the recent Supreme Court judgement and order by not granting further environmental clearances or forest clearances to any HEPs until further orders. We also request the MoEF and State Government to stop other activities related to all HEPs with immediate effect. Matu Jansangthan is directly involved in protecting peoples' rights over natural resources and the right of rivers to flow freely in the Ganga and Yamuna valley."
"As per our knowledge of the struggles we are involved in against gigantic HEPs, some projects are pending at different stages of environment and forest clearance in the MoEF and in the State of Uttarakhand. These include projects such as the Jhelam-Tamak HEP (128 MW), on the river Dhouliganga; Vishnugad-Peepalkoti HEP (444 MW) on the river Alaknanda; the Devsari HEP (252 MW), on river Pindar; Kotli-Bhel I A HEP (95 MW), on river Bhagirathi; and Natwar-Mori (60 MW), on river Tons. All works related to these projects should be stopped now,"
he stressed. Inspite of the doubts on the effects of constructing large dams on the important mountain rivers of Uttarakhand, the State Government still maintains that constructing these dams is essential for facilitating development in the State.