Press Note 12-9-2014-Permission to fill Tehri Dam is completely unjustified

Press Note 12-9-2014

Permission to fill Tehri Dam is completely unjustified

We got to know some days before that State Government of Uttarakhand has given permission to Tehri Hydro Development Corporation with respect to filling of Tehri Dam is immoral in all forms. We believe, since the bridges to connect the both side of reservoir of Tehri dam are not yet constructed and also the basic facilities that were supposed to be provided at rehabilitation site have also not completed, in such circumstance, the state government whose responsibility is to protect rights of displaced population should not take this step.

Only after complete rehabilitation should such permission be given by State Government to any such authority. Matu Jansangathan has been raising these issues over a long time now. We got to know that in 2002, Central Government gave a letter to the state Government according to which land in the area of Pathari Part 1, 2, 3, 4 can be transferred from forest land to peoples land. 12 years since then, people have faced difficulties due to delay in availability of land rights is because of the State Government in which all the political parties are responsible. In such circumstances, the permission of state government to give THDC permission to fill Tehri Dam is completely unjustified.

Only recently, Chinyalisoad bridge drowned because of which 40-50 villages got affected in their regular daily chores of ration, livelihood, school which is a massive problem. It is a request to state government to take back this letter from THDC because by this THDC has got the permission to fully fill the Tehri Dam which is wrong. It is can be understood that the dam is made to get filed but without proper rehabilitation, unregulated freedom to Dam Companies is extremely unjustified.

After the clearance letter, THDC has no obligation to care anything but of filling the dam. Since 2006, Honorable Supreme Court has not giving permission to filling of Tehri Dam to full capacity due to lack of full rehabilitation facility. Environmental issues have been completely ignored by authorities, the consequence of which we can see since 2010.

All these work are unethical. Tehri Dam is huge HEP not just for Uttarakhand but for the entire India. Ignoring problems of displaced population and only concentrating on electricity generation is completely immoral.

The state governments first responsibility is to ensure basic facilities to all cut of area residents and assurance of land rights of all those people who have been displaced and rehabilitated. Tehri Dam should be allowed to fill only after above arrangement are made.

Till every displaced person is given land rights, and all people suffered due to non-construction of bridges dams and all these issues are adequately taken care of and resolved, Tehri dam should not be allowed to fill in full capacity.

Vimalbhai, Puransingh Rana, Balwantsingh Panwar