Dehradun, September 30
Apex court’s directive to the states for shunning construction of religious places on encroached public land is truly historic. These religious places in the form of temples, mazars, churches, mosques and gurdwaras often come up on roadsides and crossings as encroachments, proving to be a major irritant to a smooth movement of traffic.

A roadside temple in the making on the busy East Canal road in Dehradun.  Tribune photo: Anil P Rawat

According to municipal sources, construction of religious places continues to be the easiest way to encroach upon government land. A clear-cut tendency to exploit people’s faith to their advantage has been seen as a game plan of encroachers in the recent times.

Starting with the installation of some religious symbols on a public land, the encroachers gradually convert it into a full-fledged place of worship, thus in the process lending credibility to their encroachments in long run.

Scores of makeshift temples and mazars have come up on all main roads of Dehradun. The Chakrata road in downtown Dehradun has a few religious places on encroached land for quite some time. But, the authorities concerned have failed to act against these places of worship.

While there is a temple near the Krishna Palace cinema, a mazar bulges out on the main Chakrata road near Kisan Nagar. Both are obstructions to a smooth movement of traffic.

There is another small-time religious place coming up at Jakhan opposite Scholars’ Home. Starting with the tying of religious flags on a tree, today grill structures have come up evidently at the place, paving way for a big temple in the area in the days to come.

Action against these religious places have been very limited. Only a couple of years ago, the authorities managed to demolish a temple at the Dwarka store while undertaking the widening of this congested crossing. The action had met with a strong reaction but was somehow carried out due to the determination of the authorities. Interestingly, this has been an isolated case where the authorities managed to have the final say.

Not far away from the Dwarka store, the very municipal road, the Curzon road crossing, is witness to encroachments these days. Idols and other religious symbols have been put up at one of the corners of this key crossing, hinting at bigger encroachment designs of those behind it.

Another temple encroachment is in the making near Nany Bakery. Such places of worship can be seen along the Dehradun Haridwar highway.

Congress councillor Raj Kumar strongly believes that people using religion in order to sustain their encroachments was quite common in the country and Dehradun was no exception. “Religion being a sensitive issue, these encroachers often go scot-free as the authorities have tendencies to avoid harsh action against temples or mazars,” Raj Kumar added.

Congested roads have been the main reason behind traffic woes in the capital city of Dehradun and these places of worship situated on public land dot city roads, hampering a smooth flow of traffic.

However, the municipal authorities deny that they were slow in taking action against encroachments linked to places of worship. “We go for prompt action against encroachments of any sort or nature,” the authorities say. They, however, admit in a hushed tone that removing encroachments of religious nature was not that easy as said.

Doonites admit that encroachments are encroachments whether done on the pretext of religion or other purpose. “Encroachments have to be dealt sternly. The authorities need to act with an iron hand to remove these encroachments in the form of places of worships. This needs to be done irrespective of religion or faith,” believes SD Pant, a local advocate by profession.

But, then it needs strong will and determination to carry an anti-encroachment drive. On national perspective, state like Gujarat had some time back undertaken a drive to raze places of worship that had come up on public land. The exercise was certainly successful in that state but there is no other example of any other state resorting to a similar action?.

Dehradun, September 30
With a meeting of the much-hyped Ganga Basin River Authority scheduled for October 5 to decide about the fate of three power projects stalled by the Uttarakhand and Central governments on the Bhagirathi river, the controversy about having power projects on the Ganga refuses to die down.

Avdhash Kaushal, Chairperson, Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), a voluntary group, which was awarded Padma Shri Award for environment conservation in the eighties, has come out openly in favour of the proposed power projects on the Bhagirathi in the state.

He said his organisation was working for social, educational and economic uplift of people of the state living in remote mountainous villages. It was deeply concerned by the closure of the three hydro-power projects, namely Pal Maneri 480 MW, Bhairon Ghati 380 MW and Loharinag Pala 600 MW.

Kaushal said 7 Pala Manri and Bhairon Ghati projects were suspended by the state BJP government following a fast unto death started by Prof GD Agarwal in June, 2008, on the ground that the religious sentiments of the Hindus were hurt by having power projects on the Bhagirathi between Gomukh and Uttarkashi besides dangers of environmental degradation of the sacred river.

Later, Professor Agarwal started his fast in New Delhi in January and pressurised the union government to stall the Lohari Nagpala project built by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in February, 2009.

Kaushal said the state of Uttarakhand was to get 100 per cent power from Pala Maneri and Bhairon Ghati projects and 13 per cent power from Lohari Nagpala project, but the infinite closure of these three hydro-power projects had raised concerns of the local population with regard to the issue of power crunch and growing dependency of the state on the Centre for funds and purchase of power.

“All these demands of banning power projects in the name of environment and sentiments are entirely misplaced as 1,200 villages in Uttarakhand are without electricity and nearly 40 per cent of the villages are not connected with roads. Amidst tall claims of providing electricity to each and every household by 2012, both the state as well as the central government has been hoodwinking the common people,” he said.

“Can the poor people of the state who are having much less per-capita income than the national average compelled to live wretched lives in the name of saving environment,” he asked.

Kaushal said people of Uttarkashi and other places who were to benefit from these power projects were agitating to get these projects started but it was outsiders aligned with some political parties that are 
creating trouble.

Kaushal announced that people from those areas where such projects were coming up were living without electricity for decades would converge on Dehradun on October 2 for a day-long dharna on Gandhi Jayanti to demand restart of these projects.

“If the state as well the central government fail to listen to them, more than a thousand persons would start an indefinite hunger strike from October 17 to register their protest against the unjust policies of the governments.

Moreover, the RLEK would also institute a law suit against the governments concerned for ordering the closure of these projects that has led to cost escalations and subsequently heavy losses of public money. The RLEK would request the Supreme Court to held the erring officials and politicians personally liable for the losses to public exchequer.

Kaushal said even if the central as well the state government failed to move, he would return his award to the President on November 14 in protest and also as a mark of support for the hapless poor people of the hill villages who had been affected by the closure of these major hydro-electric power projects.