Disaster affected people and activists have demanded that action be taken against Govt officials and hydro power company officials found negligent in the June 2013 disaster.
At the conclusion of a 24- hour fast held at Srinagar (Garhwal) in homage to the disaster victims, they issued a letter stating their expectations from the Government and expressed hope at the initiative taken by Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyaya who has assured them that the State Government will discuss the issues with them in the near future.
Members of Matu Jansangathan, the Vishnuprayag Bandh Aapda Sangh, Srinagar Bandh Aapda Prabhavit Samiti, Asi Ganga Bandh Aapda Prabhavit Samiti, Bhu-Visthapit Sangharsh Samiti and Bhu-Swami Sangharsh Samiti undertook the fast in
Srinagar that ended on Monday with economist Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala and Srinagar municipality chairman BC Maithani administering lemon water to the protesters. According to Vimal Bhai of Matu Jansangathan, the recent discovery of skeletal remains of last year's disaster victims at Kedarnath has exposed misinformation spread by the Government.
"The Government misinformation amounts to playing with the sentiments of the kinfolk of the victims. “The disaster also supported the claims of those who have been living with the detrimental effects of dams in Uttarakhand for years.
About 50 per cent of the debris in the Alaknanda and its tributaries originated at dam sites but in the year since the disaster, the State government has not put any check on companies implementing the power projects. Consequently, the companies have continued the irregularities which had exacerbated the disaster last year," he added.
The protesters have demanded that the government/companies responsible for dams open new health centres. The Government should facilitate interest relaxation on tourism related loans taken by people in the tourist spots affected by disaster.
The search for remains of last year's victims at Kedarnath should continue till the last remain is found while politicians and public servants guilty of negligence during the June 2013 disaster should face action. Monitoring committee comprising locals should be formed to ensure desired quality of flood protection works, the responsibilities of companies managing dams should be fixed and they should be made to pay compensation for damage exacerbated by hydro power projects.
The Government should secure a guarantee from such companies that they would not be negligent in the future especially when it comes to the power projects at Srinagar, Vishnuprayag, Singoli-Bhatwadi and others in Uttarakhand.