About a decade after the commissioning of the Tehri dam in Uttarakhand, the resulting human and ecological damage is yet to be addressed effectively. Eliciting focus on the major human and ecological crisis that has emerged in the Himalayan region following the construction of large dams like the Tehri dam, a documentary titled ‘Tehri 2015 - Ten Years of Injustice’ will be premiered and a booklet titled ‘Why Dams’ will be released at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on Saturday.
Activist Vimal Bhai who has directed the documentary states, “The film is a testimony to the human and ecological crisis that has emerged in the Himalayan region after the construction of large dams as in Tehri which have ruined the lives and livelihoods of local communities and caused irreparable damage to the environment. The documentary speaks of Tehri dam's history of illegal and forced land acquisitions, violations of environmental safety norms and unfair rehabilitation of displaced families which that are still seeking justice after 10 years of its commissioning.” Justice Rajendra Sachar is slated to release the documentary while senior journalist Shambhunath Shukla will release the booklet ‘Why Dams’. Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Parikh who has been advocating for the petitioners against Tehri dam in the court of law since 1992 will also be felicitated on the occasion. A panel discussion on ‘Tehri Dam and Dams of Ganga Valley” will have speakers including the former chief justice of Delhi High Court, Justice Rajinder Sachar, Supreme Court advocate Sanjy Parikh, legal research and fellow at Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Dr Usha Ramanathan, environmentalist Shekhar Singh, Puran Singh Rana and Balwant Panwar from Matu Jansangathan in Uttarakhand among others. The Hindi booklet ‘Why Dams’ written by Vimal Bhai will also be released for the larger audience on the occasion. The author states that the booklet documents years of work done in dam affected regions of Uttarakhand. It also discusses the environmental degradation, displacement and loss of livelihoods of the people in Uttarakhand due to construction of large dams. Complementary to the documentary this booklet reflects on the worsening state of environment and people in Uttarakhand, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that environmental and social activist Vimal Bhai forayed into this field while volunteering at the Gandhi Hindustani Sahitya Sabha with senior Gandhian activists Veena Handa and Indu Behen. Here he got an opportunity to work with the veteran environmentalist Sunder lal Bahuguna, who introduced him to the Tehri dam struggle. Apart from Tehri, he is also actively engaged in the ongoing struggles in the Bhagirathi and Yamuna valleys in Uttarakhand.