While the State Government has maintained that the June disaster in Uttarakhand was a natural calamity, activists and disaster affected people in Garhwal region have demanded that the State Government initiate criminal proceedings against companies operating six hydro power projects which they allege were responsible for the devastation wreaked in June.
They have also demanded that the Ministry of Environment and Forests cancel and rethink the environmental clearances granted to hydro power projects in Uttarakhand.
Vimal Bhai of Matu Jansangathan states that dams had a major role in the destruction caused at the beginning of the monsoon. “State Government has regularly ignored the violation of environmental norms in the building of dams and related activities which has led to significant increase in the destruction caused by such dams during environmental calamities.
On the night of June 16-17 this year, the Vishnuprayag power project implemented by Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd on Alakhnanda river caused tremendous destruction in the lower areas because its sluice gates were not opened on time. This wreaked destruction at lambagad, Vinayak Chatti, Pandukeshwar, Govindghat and Pinola Ghat areas.
No water was ever released from the Vishnuprayag dam for the needs of villagers. In the monsoon of 2012 the destruction caused by this project flooded the shops of lambagad village and no compensation was paid by the company,” he said.
He further alleged that another dam built on same river Alakhnanda at Srinagar by the GVK group caused major damage during the monsoon this year. “Taking advantage of increase in water level of the reservoir caused by water from upstream, the company orchestrated lifting of the Dhari Devi temple which was proposed for August 2013. During this time, the sluice gates of the dam which were half open were all closed which caused an increase in the water level of dam’s reservoir. When the pressure on the dam increased because of excess water, the company, without warning the residents on the banks of the river opened the gates after which water in the reservoir flowed down with all force and flooded the muck dumped by the company at three sites on the banks of this river which exacerbated the destructive force of the river,” he alleged.
Citing various examples, the activists and disaster affected have demanded that the State initiate criminal proceedings against companies responsible for implementing the Vishnuprayag HEP and Srinagar HEP on Alakhnanda river; under construction Kaldigad HEP, Asi Ganga phase I and II HEP on Asi Ganga; Maneri-Bhali phase II HEP on Bhagirathi, Kaliganga phase I and II on Kaliganga, Madhyamaheshwar HEP on Madhyamaheshwar river and the Phata-Byung HEP and Singoli-Bhatwari HEP on Mandakini river.