Despite the focus of the State and Central governments to speed up construction of hydro power projects in Uttarakhand, those affected by such projects have remained opposed to anomalies in these projects. locals affected by the 444 MW Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydro electric project in Chamoli district are demanding that the World Bank withdraw from this project.
A team from the World Bank had to face the ire of the project affected people who gheraoed the team at a hotel in Pipalkoti recently. Nearly a 100 affected people braved the inclement weather to gherao the officials who had been in the area since July 3 without the knowledge of the villagers. According to Vimal Bhai of Matu Jansangathan, following the protest, Sona Thakur of World Bank asked the protesters to sit and talk inside the hotel.
In reply, Naveen Matiyal said, “World Bank never enquired about the various incidents that had taken place in the last five years. We are only asking that World Bank should take its money back and leave the project,” he said. He refused to go inside for a talk adding that talks should be held in front of all the affected. The argument went on for about an hour, shortly after which the World Bank team left the hotel.
Sandeep Rawat and CPM leader Bassilal have also asked World Bank to leave the project because of its harmful effects on all the forests nearby. They state that the World Bank has violated the environmental and rehabilitation policies it had set in Vishnugad-Peepalkoti project and accepted the proposal for funding it.
locals point out that they have repeatedly confronted the bank officials and sought answers from them on these issues in the past five years but these have been ignored by them.
Vimal Bhai said, “There have been rounds of filing false cases, mental torture, and threats to the people protesting against the project. They have nothing to do with their policies considering the way the World Bank’s investigation team’s report following the petition submitted by locals against the violation of set policies of the World Bank.
They are behaving mainly like money lenders. It is important to state that the World Bank country director for India, other bank officials and even the Chamoli district magistrate have seen the drying up of streams, landslides and other problems being faced at Haat village but nothing has been done to address these problems despite repeated complaints and protests.
In stead, cases were filed on the people demanding redressal of problems and opposing the dam. A similar situation is arising in Durgapur village situated at the confluence of Alaknanda and Birhi rivers, where tunnel for water release is to be constructed as part of the project. Here too, the project work is continuing despite strong opposition and public movement undertaken against the project,” he added.