The region from where Gaura Devi and others took up the Chipko Andolan to protect the environment, has suffered a case of about 150 green trees of various types being axed in Dhak Gram Sabha area by the company implementing a 520 Megawatt hydro-electric project in the Joshimath region of Chamoli district. The villagers are angry and allege that the trees were chopped during the night without the villagers’ knowledge.
The area from where Gaura Devi and other villagers sparked the Chipko Andolan eliciting global attention, now appears to have become an example of blatant example of environmentally damaging actions. Residents of the Dhak Gram Sabha in Joshimath region of Chamoli district state that the NTPC which is implementing a 520 MW hydro electric project in the area, got about 150 green trees axed without even taking the villagers into consideration. The felling of the varied types of green trees — including pine and oak — in the area has caused considerable outrage among the locals. If the villagers are to be believed, the trees were felled during the night time due to which the villagers were unaware. When asked about this particular incidence, an official of the district administration stated that only after conducting an inspection of the site in question will cognisance of the case be taken.
Situated at a distance of about 14 kilometres from Joshimath town, Dhak village is the scene of the case wherein the villagers aver that the NTPC got 150 green trees felled. Questions are also being raised by the locals regarding whether the trees were felled after securing necessary permission from the authorities. The Dhak village Sarpanch, Pushkar Singh states that the trees had been axed without seeking the approval of the villagers with the felling being carried out in the night time. Further, the former Pradhan of the village, Musali Devi states that trees felled had been planted about 20 years ago with the assistance of the village women who had worked hard to nurture the plantation into a jungle. The villagers are angry because of NTPC allegedly getting the 150 green trees axed in the night time. When contacted by this correspondent regarding the case, the Joshimath Sub Divisional Magistrate Yogendra Singh said that he was presently out of town on government work. The SDM said that he would visit the Dhak village on Monday and if it is ascertained that green trees were axed down without necessary permission, the necessary action will be taken.
Observers point out that on the one hand the state government repeatedly talks of involving rural communities to enhance livelihoods and protect the state’s environmental resources, the reality as evidenced in varied cases of unauthorised tree felling reported consistently from different parts of the State appears to be considerably different than what is claimed by the authorities. The State Government talks of having the maximum number of Van Panchayats among all states, but when it comes to forest-based livelihoods and environmental protection and management, the scenario is dominated by activities like contraband timber, illegally quarried materials and other types of indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources to the detriment of Uttarakhand and its people.