Bilaspur villagers continue protest, want water scheme scrapped

Solan, February 20

Demanding scrapping of the contentious water scheme over Ali Khud, the affected villagers of Bilaspur continued their silent protest at Triveni Ghat in Bilaspur.

Wouldn’t allow it at any cost: MLA

• Randhir Sharma, MLA, who rejected the committee report favoring further construction of the scheme, said legal option would be sought and the construction of the scheme would not be allowed at any cost as it will adversely hit the water discharge in the existing schemes.
• He asserted that several water supply and irrigation schemes had already been constructed downstream of this source in Bilaspur district. Its further exploitation would hit the existing schemes.

The scheme will supply water to eight gram panchayats of Arki subdivision.

Randhir Sharma, MLA, Shree Naina Devi in Bilaspur, who rejected the committee report submitted yesterday by the officials of the Jal Shakti Department (JSD) favoring further construction of the scheme, said, “They will seek legal options and the construction of the scheme would not be allowed at any cost as it will adversely hit the water discharge in the existing schemes, especially during the lean season.”

He had objected to the potable water scheme being constructed over Ali Khud bordering Solan and Bilapsur districts during the state planning meeting held on January 29. He had asserted that several water supply and irrigation schemes had already been constructed downstream of this source in Bilaspur district, its further exploitation would hit the existing schemes.

A committee had thereafter been constituted by the Engineer-in-Chief of Jal Shakti Department on February 13 to ascertain the adequacy of discharge in Ali khud at the site of construction of the new scheme.

The committee comprising superintending engineers of Solan, Bilaspur and Executive Engineers of Bilaspur and Arki submitted its report yesterday.

The report stated that although there is adequate discharge of water on date in the khud at the point of construction, the lean period discharge is merely 15 litres per second (LPS). There is shortage of water during lean period for downstream schemes. Hence, augmentation of 15 schemes of Bilaspur has been proposed from Koldam reservoir. The committee has given its nod to construct the contentious percolation well after seeking recommendation of senior hydro-geologist from Una though it mentions that construction should be undertaken without affecting downstream schemes of Bilaspur division.

The committee, in its report, has negated the allegation raised by the villagers that the aid scheme would supply water to a cement unit.

Water is supposed to be lifted for 16 hours pumping by extracting sub-surface water from proposed percolation wells and no direct lifting of surface water is proposed. Twenty water supply schemes and six irrigation schemes downstream of the disputed point have been constructed in Bilaspur area whose cumulative demand is 395.42 LPS. In its upstream there four water supply and one irrigation scheme whose cumulative water demand is 92.02 LPS. Only surface water is used by these schemes.

In its upstream there were two water supply and five irrigation schemes in Arki division whose cumulative requirement is 60.76 LPS.