Satluj Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti: ‘No NOC taken by SJVNL under provisions of the Forest Rights Act 2006” ; ‘Strongly oppose the tunnel based project’
The World Bank funded 775 MW Luhri Hydroelectric project on the Satluj river has run into further local opposition in the area as people from three affected Panchayats put a stop to the testing activities of the project in their respective areas. On 29th April, people from Behna panchayat of Ani Subdivision in Kullu district and Nanj and Tebban Panchayats of Karsog Subdivision of Mandi district gathered in large numbers and served notice to the contractors to put an immediate stop to the geological testing activities being carried out by them for the project.
These villages are amongst the 78 villages to be affected by the 38 km long twin tunnels to be constructed for the project promoted by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. The residents of these villages have been opposed to the tunneling of the Satluj on the grounds that it will bring about immense destruction and miseries upon their area apart from completely killing a 50 km stretch of the free flowing Satluj River.
Nek Ram Sharma of the Satluj Bachao Jan Sangharh Samiti from Nanj Panchayat said, “ We have seen in almost all such projects in other areas of the state, especially in Rampur and Karcham Wangtoo projects, that long tunnels have been responsible for drying up of natural water sources around them. So much so, that in some areas of the Rampur Project, people are now having to collect water from water tankers at the nearest roadhead whereas it was earlier available through natural water sources near home.”
Dayal Verma of Behna Gram Panchayat in Kullu District reported that their village is totally against the design of the project with the proposed tunnel passing through their area. He said, “The people of our Gram Sabha have passed a resolution for stopping the testing work in our area. As per the provisions of Forest Rigths Act, 2006 no activity that impacts the forest rights of the community can be carried out without the consent of the concerned Gram Sabha”. The Samiti is demanding that SJVNL to put an end to all project activities till the time it obtains all clearances, including those from all concerned Gram Sabhas.
Earlier in the month the Ministry of Environment’s Forest Advisory Committee had deferred the decision on the Forest clearance to this project on the grounds that the provisions of the FRA 2006 needed to be complied with before any more forest land is diverted for projects. “The stoppage of work by the Gram Sabhas is in line with the provisions of FRA 2006, which vests the rights of protection of forests with the Gram Sabhas. And in light of the recent clarification issued by the MoEF’s committee, the step taken by the Gram Sabhas is perfectly justified as SJVNL has not received any NOCs for the survey and testing work from the Gram Sabhas” added members of Him Dhara, Environment Research Collective, supporting the Samiti.
Satluj Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti
30th April 2012
