Neck-deep in Tehri, Bahuguna moved

Bahuguna, who was in Dehra Dun today, said the inundation of the 189-year-old town was in violation of Supreme Court orders, which clearly stated that the reservoir should not be filled till every displaced person from Tehri was fully rehabilitated. The veteran Chipko leader reiterated his resolve to fight against the construction of all big dams.

Bahuguna, who has been jailed four times for going on a fast-unto-death against the Tehri project, further said the real issue of rehabilitation of more than one lakh persons residing in the rural areas of Tehri and Uttarkashi districts, which would be submerged in the Tehri Dam, should be addressed by the Central and state governments.

Sources say, Bahuguna finally agreed to leave Old Tehri following requests by Congress party general secretaries Kishor Upadhyay and Dhirendra Pratap, who were in the old town to take stock of the situation arising out of the rise in the water level of Bhagirathi.

When reports last came in, District Magistrate Punit Kansal said Bahuguna’s wife, Bimla, was still in the town. But she has also agreed to come out of the flooded town, he said.

With Old Tehri now almost empty, the district authorities are hoping that all ‘‘genuine’’ cases, relating to the rehabilitation process, would be settled. Kansal said the state government has asked the Centre to release Rs 256 crore for this purpose.