livelihood opportunities around the lake remain pipe dream
The 42 sq km lake-reservoir which came into existence with the construction of Tehri dam here had raised hopes among the locals that apart from electricity, it would provide them with a string of livelihood opportunities like pisciculture, tourism and water sports related activities that in their turns would attract people from India and abroad.
However, such hopes have not materialised in the absence of a well-defined policy to promote them. The locals are now feeling cheated due to the continuing apathy of the authorities. This is why the migrations, particularly of the youths, down to the towns in the plains in search of jobs continue unabated.
The successive State Governments had announced that the Tehri dam region would be brought on the tourism map of the hill State to woo a large number of domestic and foreign tourists during the summer season after developing the place on the lines of Mussoorie and Nainital. It was expected that a number of water sports would be organised to boost the region’s tourism prospects. With things looking up, many entrepreneurs had even purchased lands in the region. But the authorities having failed to firm up policies come in the way of the fulfillment of the hopes.
The Governments, in succession, keep on dishing out flamboyant projects to curb the tendencies of the people to migrate. But these remaining confined on papers only accentuate things for the people. The State Government had entrusted a private agency with the responsibility of identifying the tourism development possibilities.
The agency had made some suggestions on the matter too. But things ended there. For the past few years, the people were told that a ring road around the reservoir was in the offing. Assurances were given on boosting pisciculture too. But all these promises have remained spurious ones, given the lack of will to fulfill them on the ground.
According to sources, the fish rearing project would have earned Rs 7 crore by way of profit per annum for the State apart from benefitting the local people. The Governments may have succeeded in ‘’befooling’’ the local people, but those which have witnessed old Tehri town submerged and their homes going under water, are no longer in moods to be taken for a ride. They are now seasoned enough and are reluctant to gulp whatever is dished out for their consumption. They can now sift the corn from the chaff, so to say.
The hill State, envisioned as a tourism State, keeps lagging far behind the States like Kerala and Goa. This is despite the fact that crores are being spent to resuscitate the tourism sector. The result is barely visible, however.