Locals refuse to allow Jispa dam project

SHIMLA: Notwithstanding the national interest involved the locals in the tribal district of Lahaul Spiti are not willing to bear serious environmental consequences on the coming up of the 300 MW water impounding project even if it allows Pakistan to counter India on the sensitive Indus Water Treaty

Updated At : 06:50 AM Jul 19, 2017 IST

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 18

Notwithstanding the national interest involved, the locals in the tribal district of Lahaul Spiti are not willing to bear serious environmental consequences on the coming up of the 300 MW water impounding project even if it allows Pakistan to counter India on the sensitive Indus Water Treaty.

Locals from 14 villages in Lahaul Spiti have once again rejected the plea of the state government to allow the coming up of the Jispa project, even as a high level team headed by Managing Director HP Power Corporation Ltd (HPPCL) tried to convince the villagers to at least allow investigation and survey. The team headed by Davesh Kumar, Managing Director, HPPCL, yesterday visited Jispa, to hold consultations with the locals and impress upon them the need to give their consent in view of the fact that it has been declared a project of national importance.

“The government placed its viewpoint before us but we are adamant that we will not allow the project as besides the threat to our fragile ecology, national security is above national importance,” said Regzin Hyrpa, convener of Jispa Bandh Jan Sangharsh Samiti. He says the site of the dam is very close to the international border and the people do not want the story of Kinnaur, which has suffered huge environmental damage due to power projects, to be repeated in their area. All the panchayat pradhans, zila parishad members and locals were present.

The Government of India is very keen to see the work on the water impounding project begin at the earliest as it has a very serious implication on the Indus Water Treaty. Officials pointed out that India will have to put more water to use in the Chenab basin to counter Pakistan claims that India is not using much of the water.

“A total of 14 villages in the five panchayats of Darcha, Sumdoh, Lingkyun, Shilling Thanka and Darcha Dhagma will be badly affected. Besides, 74 families will be uprooted and the head rest tunnel of the project will pass below the 14 villages, posing a major environmental threat,” said Hyrpa.

“The officials from the HPPCL team tried to impress upon the locals from the affected gram panchayats to at least allow work for undertaking survey and investigation. They have been assured that work will not be started till Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report is not prepared and a very liberal Relief and Rehabilitation package will be offered,” said Tarun Shridhar, Additional Chief Secretary, Power and Revenue.