Shimla
‘Green groups’ in Himachal have demanded a moratorium on construction of all new hydro-power projects on the Satluj and Chenab in the state, till a study on cumulative impact of all the projects on fragile ecology is done.
Raising this issue in the wake of disaster that stuck Uttarakhand and Kinnaur, six environment organisations have shot off an open letter to chief minister Virbhadra Singh in this regard. The letter is written by Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Him Lok Jagriti Manch, Kinnaur, Satluj Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti, Mandi Himalaya Bachao Samiti, Chamba, Jan Jagran Evam Vikas Sanstha, Kullu and Ajeevika Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, Renuka ji, Sirmaur.
They said that three large hydroelectric projects have been built and are operational in the Satluj valley. Many others, which are under construction, are central to exacerbation of the fragility of the area by bringing deforestation, climatic changes and by affecting the land stability. “Creating tunnels of several kilometers length, carrying out 24×7 construction, blasting, crushing, haphazard muck dumping along the river bed at the current scale has and will continue to play a destructive role if all the projects are allowed.”
Quoting the ‘India State of Forest Report 2011’, the green groups said that in Kinnaur, out of the total geographical area of 6,401 sq km, less than 10 per cent is under forest cover and 40 per cent of this small forest area percentage is open forest. This is the only district where there has been a gradual decrease in forest cover in the last 10 years, they said. According to the report, in comparison to 2001 data, the total area under forest cover, especially dense and moderate, has reduced by 7.25 per cent. “We strongly believe that this decrease in forest cover is connected with the forest land diverted for hydropower projects and other development activities. And it is this which is exacerbating the phenomenon of global climatic change in an ecologically and geographically fragile region like Kinnaur,” they said.
“Even in the case of Uttarakhand it has been pointed out that the areas which were destroyed by floods are the ones where there has been maximum forest loss and deforestation over the last few years.The same is true for Kinnaur, thus establishing a direct link between deforestation and devastation by the floods.”
The way the projects like Seli, Miyar and other projects are coming up without assessing the cumulative impact of all the projects on fragile ecology and livelihood of people, similar issues are likely to crop up in the region too, it said. The letter also quotes the CAG findings which highlight failures of the state government to carry out compensatory afforestation in lieu of trees axed for constructing hydro projects.
http://www.dailypostindia.com/news/55110-green-groups-for-moratorium-on-hydro-projects-in-himachal.html
See full text of the Open Letter
