Thursday, 21 April 2016

Press release:No Rehabilitation, No Environment Conservation 21 April 2016


हमारी गंगाघाटी में हमारी छाती के ऊपर ही बांध......  लोगो पर झूठे मुक़द्दमें........
हम ही अपने जल-जंगल-जमीन से अधिकार खो बैठे...... 





छोटीकाशी में वृक्षारोपण किया
पीपल के इस पेड़ की भांति हमारी भी जड़े यहंा है।






ना पुनर्वास ना पर्यावरण संरक्षण
( विश्व बैंक द्वारा पोषित विष्णुगाड पीपलकोटी बाँध, अलकनंदा नदी, जिला चमोली,उत्तराखंड, निर्माणकर्ता बांध कंपनी टीएचडीसी)

पेड़ हमारी समृद्धि का प्रतीक है, पेड़ हमारी एकता का प्रतीक है, पेड़ हमारे संघर्ष का प्रतीक है, पीपल के इस पेड़ की भांति हमारी भी जड़े यहंा है। लड़ेगे जीतेगे के नारे के साथ विभिन्न गांव से आये ग्रामीणों ने पीपल का पेड़ रोपा और गंगाजल के साथ नदी दिवस, 14 मार्च को इकट्ठी की गई मिट्टी पेड़ के साथ डाली गई। आज 21 अप्रैल 2016 को विष्णुगाड पीपलकोटी बाँध से प्रभावित हाट हरसारी दुर्गापुर और अन्य गाँव के लोगो ने हरसारी के पास छोटीकाशी में वृक्षारोपण किया। ये पेड़ इस बात का प्रतीक कि पेड़ की तरह हम नदी को बचाके रखेंगे।

‘‘बाँध बनाएंगे व अलकनंदा नदी को भी नुकसान नहीं होगा और सारे पर्यावरण मापदंडों का पालन करेंगे।‘‘ टीएचडीसी व विश्व बैंक के सारे शब्द खोखले साबित हुए। क्यूंकि नदी के आगे से सियासेण गंाव के आगे जो सड़क बन रही है उसका पूरा मलबा सीधे नदी में डाला जा रही है। बांध कपंनी कई जगह दिखने में आया है कि पहले मलबा नदी में डाल देती है फिर उसके बाद सुरक्षा दिवार बनाती है।
सुरंग के उपर वाले गांवों को तो पूरी तरह अनदेखा किया जा रहा है। गंावों में जलस़्त्रोत सूख रहे है, धूल के गुब्बार, विस्फोटों से लोगो की समस्यायें बढ़ी है। कई गांवों में चारे का जो पैसा देना था वो भी लटका कर रखा गया है।

देखने की बात ये भी है की पुनर्वास का काम सही रूप से तो शुरु ही नहीं हुआ। लोगो को धोखेे में रखा गया है। उदाहरण के लिये हाट के लोगों को तो जिस तरह नदी के दूसरी तरफ भेजा गया और इस तरह के भरम में फंसाया गया की लोगो को 10 लाख के पैकेज को सही माना जब की उन्होंने अपनी ज़मीन के ऊपर ही मकान बनाया और आज वे लोग ठगे से महसूस कर रहे है अपने आप को क्यूंकि 10 लाख में मकान भी पूरा नही बन पाया और कोई सामुदायिक सुविधाएं देने की योजना ही नहीं है। विश्व बैंक इस पुनर्वास नीति को बहुत अच्छी कहकर कर अपनी वेबसाईट पर प्रचार कर रहा है और टीएचडीसी भी।
ये वही टीएचडीसी है जिसके बनाये पहले टिहरी बाँध विस्थापित लोग आज भी पुनर्वास प्राप्त नहीं कर पाए है। आज भी टिहरी बाँध में पानी पूरा भरने की इजाज़त नहीं हो पाई है क्यूंकि पुनर्वास पूरा नहीं हुआ। पर्यावरण की शर्तों को तो पूरी तरह दरकिनार ही किया है। जो भागीरथी  की दशा थी वही आज अलकनंदा की स्थिति हो रही है।

मानवाधिकारों का बड़ा उल्लंघन हो रहा है। जहाँ पर भी लोग अपनी संस्कृति, अपने गॉव को बचाने के लिए खड़े  होते है या उनके विस्फोटों की वजह से उनके मकानों में दरारें आ रही है और लोग मांग करते है कि विस्फोट मत कीजिये, फिर जब ठेकेदार नहीं मानते है तो लोग काम रोकते है, तो उन पर मुक़दमे ठोके जाते है। आज पूरी घाटी में लगभग 100 लोगो के ज्यादा लोगो पर झूठे मुक़द्दमें है।

लोगो पर मुकद्दमें करना एक रणनीति के तहत है क्योंकि मुक़दमे में लोग अदालतों के चक्कर काटेंगे और अदालतों के आदेश आते है की आप काम नहीं रोक सकते है। चंूकि ये तो देश के हित  में है हम पूछना चाहते है की देश का हित कौन सा है? क्या हम इस देश के निवासी नहीं है? हमारी गंगाघाटी में हमारी छाती के ऊपर ही बांध बनाया गया। हमको यह कहकर की आपका विकास होगा और आज हमको इस परिस्थिति में डाला गया कि हमारे क्षेत्र में हम ही अपने जल-जंगल-जमीन से अधिकार खो बैठे है। यह पूरी तरह से साबित हो गया की बाँध विकास नहीं विनाश का ही प्रतीक है ना केवल उन लोगो के लिए जो सीधे जमीन से विस्थापित हो रहे है बल्कि उन लोगो के लिए भी जो बांध निमार्ण के दूसरे कारणों से प्रभावित है। लाभ किसको मिलेगा यह सामने दिखता है। मगर हम इस पूरी पोल को खोलके रहेंगे।

हम संघर्ष करेंगे और जीतेंगे!!!

ज़िंदाबाद

नरेंद्र पोखरियाल, धनेरी देवी, मंडी लाल,  राजू हटवाल

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No Rehabilitation, No Environment Conservation

(World Bank funded Vishnugad-peepalkoti Dam, Alaknanda River, District Chamoli, Uttarakhand,
project proponent THDC India LTD.)
Tree is sign of prosperity, our unity, our struggle, our roots. People with the slogans of “Ladenge –Jeetenge” and planted ‘Banyan’ trees at the Ganga Basin symbolizing our roots here and put the mud which was collected on the occasion of 14th March, River day. Today on 21st April, 2016 Vishnugad-peepalkoti dam affected people of Haat Harsari, Durgapur and other villages planted trees in Chhotikashi. This tree is sign of our promise to save our river.
“ We will construct dam without any damage to and will follow all the environment measures” – These words of THDC (Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd) and World Bank went into air. Debris of the road construction from Siyasen village is going straight into the river. At many places it was observed that the company dumped the debris in the river before constructing protection wall.
Villages above the tunnels are being completely ignored.  Water source in the village are drying up; blasts and the dust in the air have added to people’s problems in the area. In many villages, the money to be given for animal fodder has also not been provided.
It also has to be observed that the rehabilitation work has not begun in effect. People have been betrayed.  People from the Hatt village went to the other side of the river; they were promised a package of Rs 10 lakhs but eventually they had to build houses on their own lands and today neither they have been able to construct their own houses fully nor have they been provided any community facilities. On the other hand, THDC and World Bank have praised this package and have even publicized it on their websites.
This is the same THDC which constructed the first Tehri Dam and which hasn’t been able to rehabilitate the people their till today. To this date, the dam has not been permitted to fill to its capacity because of the lack of full implementation of Rehabilitation.  The environmental conditions have been completely bypassed.  The plight of Alaknanda river is becoming like that of Bhagirathi.
There is large-scale violation of Human rights. Wherever people stand up asserting their culture and identity and to save their village, they are being detained. When people’s request to stop the blasts, which create cracks in their houses, fall on contractor’s deaf ears, they force the company to stop work. The people are then intimidated by false complaints and are booked in cases.  Till this date, more than a hundred people in this valley have been booked in cases wrongfully. These false cases are a part of the strategy to continue the work as the people will then be forced to attend to the court proceedings.
It is said that these Dams are built for the good of the nation; we want to ask what is the good of the nation? Are we not the residents of this country? In our valley, these dams were constructed on top of us and we were told that development will come here. Today the situation is such that we are being alienated from rights over our own water, lands and forests.
It has been proved beyond doubt that dams are a symbol of destruction and not development, not only for those displaced by it but also those affected by its construction in many ways.  It is clear whom this benefits and we will bring this out in the open.
We will FIGHT and WIN !!!
Zindabad
Narender Pokhriyal,   Dhaneri Devi, Mangari Lal, Raju Hatwal

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

13-4-2016 You Tube Links of "Tehri - 2015 - The 10 years of Injustice"



 All the links of different interview of the affected & related people along with the main documentary 'Tehri - 2015 - The 10 years of Injustice’.

Bandh Katha-15 Tehri 2015 Ten Years of Injustice


















Sunday, 10 April 2016

10-4-2016 Film and Book released

PRESS RELEASE


 Shambhunath Shukla, senior journalist and former editor with Amar Ujala Hindi Daily released the book ‘Why Dams?’ written by Vimal bhai and published by National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM).

‘Tehri 2015 – The Ten Years of Injustice’ documentary movie made by Vimal bhai, has been released by Justice Rajinder Sachhar, Adv. Sanjay Parikh, Ms. Medha Patkar




Tehri Dam Realities Exposed by the Documentary film – “Tehri 2015 – The 10 years of Injustice” directed by Vimalbhai

“We can never feel the pain experienced by those who have faced the loss” – Sanjay Parikh

April 10, 2016 | New Delhi: ‘Tehri 2015 – The Ten Years of Injustice’ documentary movie made by Vimal bhai, has been released by Justice Rajinder Sachhar yesterday at Constitution Club of India. The movie is a testimony to the human and ecological crisis that emerged in the Himalayan region after the construction of dams such as Tehri which have ruined the lives and livelihoods of local communities and caused irreparable damage to the ecology, environment and cultural values which were there for centuries. It also speaks of a long history of illegal and forced land acquisitions, violations of environmental safety norms and unfair rehabilitation of displaced families that are still seeking justice even after 10 years of its commissioning.

Shambhunath Shukla, senior journalist and former editor with Amar Ujala Hindi Daily released the book ‘Why Dams?’ written by Vimal bhai and published by National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM). It documents years of work done in dam affected regions of Uttarakhand and discusses the environmental degradation, displacement and loss of livelihoods of the people in Uttarakhand owing to building of large dams. Complementary to the documentary released, this book reflects on the worsening state of ecology, environment and people in Uttarakhand.

“Who really benefits from the dams?” asked Shambhunath Shukla while claiming that rehabilitation of Tehri dam inhabitants have been done in a very thoughtless manner. The people have been relocated to an area which only worsened their lives and brought environmental devastation.

“Till now the problems arising in the Uttarakhand and Ganga Valley due of a large number of small and big dams has been overlooked for the unjust greed of electricity, we have to save ecology and people’s rights over on natural resources of Himalaya” said Vimal bhai, while criticizing the Namami Ganga initiative which talks only about the pollution and cleaning the River Ganga but always run away from taking up the issues of dams on Ganga. We will not leave the fight till rivers and its people get their rights.

Adv. Sanjay Parikh, fighting cases for people on Tehri Dam since 1992, was felicitated by people’s movements. He has been continuing his endless struggle and extending support, which has benefited people of Uttarakhand and also provided strength to other people’s movements nationwide.

Justice Rajinder Sachhar ji along with Ms. Medha Patkar, Puran Singh Rana, senior activist of Matu Jansangthan and others honored him with the preamble of constitution and a shawl. Justice Rajinder Sachhar ji appreciated the Sanjay Parikh’s work and fight for human rights case since 1986 and evaluated his contribution worthy for a people’s award equivalent to a Bharat Ratna.

Sanjay Parikh, with his long 24 years’ experience in case of Tehri, shared that the judiciary has failed to understand the real problems caused by these large dams in which the govt. and also the judiciary focused on rehabilitation issues cornering the environmental concerns. Tehri dam was environmentally not feasible and thus were in planning stage only for many years after which the Govt. went straight to just build it. Also rehabilitation has not been done which refutes the claim of benefits to people from Tehri Dam. The lack of social assessment and other devastation of cultural values because of displacement were missing in the prior assessment. The association of human and environment has been largely ignored.

He shared with the people that the villages were looking horrifying, scary; the people were frightened by displacement. The project alienated the culture and society along with their association with the forests. “It was hard to witness the devastation and face the people as an advocate; we are human beings and cannot overlook the plight of people and upcoming devastation” said Mr. Parikh. He ended his conversation with the poem ‘Man Chaahta hai’, written by Vimal bhai.

In the panel discussion on “Tehri dam and Dams of Ganga Valley”, Medha Patkar, with her long journey fighting for the justice of people displaced and against the large dams, termed it an emotional journey. “Tehri Dam is a part of series of planned violence on people’s lives, livelihoods and environment” said Medha Patkar. These atrocities are not considered anti-national whereas the people raising voices for the justice are termed anti national. Govt. is playing a very dangerous role in diverting the people’s attention and defaming the real struggles to facilitate the natural resources in the hands of industries and rich people. The development model has become the slave of industries and corporate, moving out the people from their own villages and exploiting the natural resources available for all. Govt., executives and others are rarely questioned inside the courts. There is also unwillingness to even listen to those people who are fighting for people’s issues. Thus it is clear that “We should never aspire for the legal justice but for human Justice”.

“Three things impacting judgements are principles, pragmatism and prejudice”, said Usha Ramanathan, Legal Researcher and fellow at Centre for the Study of Developing Societies observing the travesty of justice in Tehri Dam case. There is a distinction between impartiality and neutrality. The powerful will also try to term the masses into subjects for their ulterior motives.

Mr. Soumya Dutta, a noted environmentalist accused the inequality in planning and delivering the benefits as a major issues causing people to suffer their lives, livelihoods and environment. Ganga – Brahmputra river system brings a lot of silt resulting in a very fertile soil deposition which has supported the agrarian system catering to food security majority of population of India, but ignoring these facts, the rivers are getting dammed which is resulting in declining reservoir capacity too apart from its larger socio-environmental impacts.

The struggle for Dam free rivers and people’s rights will continue with greater support and strength.

Shabnam, Shefali, Sukruta 

National Alliance of People’s Movements | Delhi Solidarity Group