Activists have alleged that the authorities are “totally neglecting” the responsibility of Government towards the public and environmental protection in the Pancheshwar dam project. Vimal Bhai of Matu Jansangathan said, “As part of a mutual agreement, India and Nepal are proposed to construct a 315 metre high 5,600 MW capacity hydro power project on the Ramganga and Sharda Rivers in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh, Champawat and Almora districts. A total 134 villages in India are going to be submerged in the construction of this project. For a public hearing, it is essential that information about the public hearing be made available at the village level.
Additionally, the gist of the Environmental Impact Assessment report and Social Impact Assessement report is also provided a month head of the slated date of public hearing. However, this has not been done.
The people in project affected area are being provided cumbersome documents in English to fulfil the formality of the people reading, understanding the presenting their opinions on the same.”
He further said that the level of education and medical services in the project affected areas is inferior. “In such an area, where the locals do not even get a newspaper, how can we expect the people with limited education to study much material and provide their opions on the EIA and SIARIJ The public hearing is held for the purpose of environmental clearance. For this, all relevant information is presented before the people. They are provided details about the impact of the project on public life, jungles, soil, air-pollution and river valley along with information about information about the management of these effects and the details of proposed expenditure.
The public hearing is the sole open platform where the project affected people can openly air their views. Holding a public hearing on the Pancheshwar project during the rainy season in Pithoragarh on August 11 is impractical.
The venue is far from the project affected area and the stakeholders will have to spend a considerable sum on travelling to it.
The Government is not serious about the public hearing and is intent on fulfilling the official formality,” he said, demanding that the August 11 public hearing be deferred. EIA and SIAR should be explained to the public in simple Hindi.