The construction of Tehri dam has brought more worries for the villagers residing around the dam reservoir as due to the submergence of the traditional Ghats they are forced to look elsewhere for a place to perform the last rites of their deceased kinfolk.
The files regarding construction of about 23 ghats at places such as Chinyalisaur, Tuliyana, Pitara, Jalku, Kadan, Syalgi, Jakhni Dhar, Bhanso, Dharm Ghat, Zero Bridge, Khandu, Kunjeshwar Mahadev, Tiwadgaon, Pilkhi, Deval and Mulani have been put on the backburner by the authorities concerned. The two electric crematoriums constructed in New Tehri to cater to the population that had lost its traditional cremation grounds due to the formation of the dam reservoir are also out of order. The condition of the electric crematoriums is further fueling public discontent. It is worth mentioning here that after the traditional ghats were submerged following creation of the dam reservoir, the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India ltd had decided to construct about 23 ghats on both banks of Bhilangana and Ganga rivers in 2009.
The district administration has repeatedly asked the THDC officials to execute this plan but nothing concrete has been done in this regard so far. Due to the continued absence of the ghats, the villagers are forced to spend extra time and money to conduct last rites of their kinfolk at either Rishikesh or Haridwar. The villagers have demanded that if this problem is not resolved soon they will be forced to launch intense
agitation against protracted apathy of the authorities.