Hul micro hydel project a political issue in Chamba

“Over 15,000 people in Chamba district,who reside in far-flung villages on the hill tops,are facing acute water shortage. They have to come down to get water. If the hydel project is allowed,the entire Saal valley will be adversely affected. Questions have been raised in the Assembly during the Congress and BJP regimes,probe committees were constituted,but nothing had happened,” Chand told The Indian Express.

He added: “When we tried to protest,we were shot at. Five persons sustained injuries in a clash between the protestors,the police and the government’s goons. Our fight will continue and we will not allow the project to come up at any cost.” Claiming that for the project,natural flow of rivers will be diverted,which will affect irrigation in the area,Chand said: “Because of increasing unemployment,many villagers have started growing all-weather vegetables and flowers. The land here is quite productive and we get good crops every year. All this is only possible because of the natural water resources. If the project comes up,people will not have any other source of income left.”

Most people of Chamba district are settled in villages and belong to pastoral community (Gaddi and Gujjar). Out of around 66,000 voters,over 46,000 are rural voters.

While Chand,who is contesting the Assembly polls for the first time,is banking on the rural votebank,other parties are maintaining their distance from the issue. “So far. we have maintained distance from the issue. The person who had been raising this issue for several years,is contesting. We are neutral on the issue. We are neither in favour nor against the project. It is better to keep away from such issues,” said Pawan Nayyar,Congress candidate from Chamba.