With the mercury going up in the hills, the momentum of protests are also going in the same direction in Uttarakhand over the issue of hydel projects.
India’s top Public Sector Undertakings and private companies like L&T, Lanco, GMR, GVK, NTPC, THDCIL and UJVN are constructing hydel projects on the Ganga and its tributaries in Garhwal region with potential to generate 10,000 megawatts (mw) of power.
These days, there are two different and contradictory protests going on in the hill state — one led by Avdhash Kaushal, a social activist, who wants the early completion of all dams on the Ganga and its tributaries where clearances had already been made.
Opposing Kaushal is the agitation led by G D Agarwal aka Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, who wants the closure of all the hydel projects on the river Ganga and its tributaries.
Several intellectuals have already lent support to Kuashal, who had been prote-sting against the closure of these projects for the past several months. Kuashal, the head of RLEK, a Dehradun-based NGO, has also written letters to both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi asking for the revival of 381 mw Bhaironghati and 480 mw Pala Maneri which were closed by the Ganga national river basin authority few years ago.
In the Chamoli district, villagers have been holding demonstrations urging the centre not to close 444 mw Vishnugad Pipalkoti project of the THDCIL which has already invested Rs 300 crore in the project. Since it has not got forest land for the project, it has given rise to doubts on the project’s future.
On the other hand, Agarwal, who is getting support from Anna Hazare, has now vowed to travel to Alaknanda valley to protest against the hydel projects. Environmentalist Sunder Lal Bahuguna, who had held 72 day fast against the mega Tehri dam, said the construction of all these projects would create death-knell of the rich biodiversity of the state. A group of activists belonging to “Nadi Bachao Andolan” have also asked Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna not to allow the construction of big projects on the Ganga river.
