Well known NGOs-the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra RLEK,Uttarkhand Jan Manch and similar other organizations have joined hands in support of hydro electric projects that have been stalled by what they call pseudo environmentalists.
The NGOs say that the people of Uttarakhand have been battling the crisis of sustenance and survival in their life. The Hydro electric projects have been stalled by the pseudo environmentalist under the garb of saving the Ganga,which is revered and as dearer to the locals. Men and women of Peepalkoti,Jaisal,Haart,Sen,Vaimro,Matha,Bula – the affected villages along with the local businessmen have been sitting on a dharna,threatening the government to start the project immediately. We will immolate in hundreds if these hydel projects are not started by May 10 was the voice of Mandodari sarpanch of Van panchayat of village Haat in Chamoli.
Protesting against the closure of the Him Urja Vidyut Pariyojna at Nandprayag,large number of people of Vishnugaad Peepalkoti in Kodia village and Sutolol Konnal did a symbolic chakka jam road blockade on the national highway on way to the holy shrine of Badrinath. Pushpa Devi,the adhyaksh of Mangal Dal shouted in anger we have lost our home,land and livelihood to this hydro electric project waiting for electricity and employment,today we are on crossroads with neither home nor electricity. Satish Thapliyal alleged that some pseudo environmentalists were trying to blackmail hydroelectric companies for ulterior motives. Naresh of village Math said that we the locals want the hydro electric projects to be taken up to accelerate development. Let outsiders not decide our fates.
Padamshri Avdhash Kaushal,Chairperson RLEK explaining the issue said that Uttarakhand is bearing the brunt of the some decisions being taken by political masters in the way of starting and suspending the hydro electricity projects and playhing with the lives of people. He said that the irony of the situation is that Uttarakhand once promoted as URJA PRADESH due to huge possibility of harnessing hydro-electricity was procuring electricity worth about Rs 500 crores per annum. The fall out of suspension of these hydel projects was that despite promises by the Government to provide power to all by 2012,there are 1220 villages still in dark.
The RLEK Chairman said that that it has become absolutely clear that in this squabble between the Government and the so called environmentalist and land mafias the only loser is the common man of the Uttarakhand,who is losing the right to life. Padma Shri Kaushal alleged that under the garb of Nadi Bachao some pseudo environmentalists were being funded by even foreign funding agencies to stall the hydel projects that promise so much to this state and people.
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