Joshimath
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हिमाचल प्रदेश में अवैज्ञानिक व बड़े निर्माण कार्यों के प्रभाव पर चर्चा। आज हम केवल हिमाचल प्रदेश में कुछ फोर लेन सड़क व जल विद्युत परियोजनाओं के निर्माण से भूमिका कटाव के कारण हो रहे जंगल, पहाड़, कृषि भूमि तथा घरों को नुकसान के संदर्भ में चर्चा कर रहे हैं। हिमाचल प्रदेश में भाखड़ा व पोंग जैसे बड़े बांधों का निर्माण हुआ। नाथपा झाखड़ी जल विद्युत परियोजना का 1993 में काम शुरू हुआ। 20-25 वर्षों बाद इस परियोजना की सुरंग के उपर बसे गावों नाथपा, कंडार तथा नियुग्लसेरी धसने लगे। इसी परियोजना की टनल के उपर राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग पर नियुग्लसेरी के पास दो वर्ष पहले भूस्खलन हुआ जिसकी चपेट में एक बस आई। इस दुर्घटना में 28 लोग मारे गए। उर्नी ढांक के नीच से कड़छम बंगतू परियोजना की कई सुरंगें 2011-12 को निकाली गई। यहां के किसानों को 1962 की लड़ाई के बाद इस पहाड़ के ऊपर जमीनें दी गई क्योंकि उनकी सतलूज के किनारे की समतल भूमि फौज के उपयोग के लिए ले ली गई। अब यह पहाड़ लगातार नीचे धस रहा है जिस की जद में राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग भी आया और उसे नदी पार मोड़ना पड़ा। इस पहाड़ के दरकने से किसानों के सेब के बगीचे, खेत तथा रिहाशें तबाह हो चुकी हैं। कड़छम बंगतू परियोजना से हो रहे इस नुकसान का तथाकथित विज्ञानिक सर्वे करवाया गया। इन विज्ञानिकों ने रिपोर्ट में बताया की यह प्राकृतिक आपदा से ही भूमि कटाव हो रहा है, परियोजना का इस से कोई सम्बन्ध नहीं है। दूसरे किसान बगीचों की सिंचाई कर रहे हैं जिस कारण भूमि कटाव हो रहा है। जंगी-थोपन जल विद्युत परियोजना का निर्माण कार्य अभी जारी है। इस परियोजना से गांवों जंगी, रारंग, अक्पा तथा खदरा को भारी नुक्सान होने का खतरा बना हुआ है। कभी भी इन गांवों की जमीनें, सेब के बगीचे तथा घर धस सकते हैं। लोगों के विरोध के कारण कई साल काम रुका रहा परंतु पिछली सरकार के दौरान फिर से काम शुरू किया गया। टीवीएम मशीन खराब होने का बहाना करके ब्लास्टिंग से कार्य हो रहा है। बजोली होली जल विद्युत परियोजना चम्बा जिला में निर्माणाधीन है।इस की सुरंग में दरार आने से जल बहाव के कारण गांव झरौता को पिछले दिनों भारी नुक्सान हुआ, जमीन धस रही है तथा कई घरों में दरारें आ चुकी हैं। इसी तरह कई दूसरी परियोजनों में भी यही स्थिति बनी हुई है। हिमाचल प्रदेश में वर्तमान में चार फोर लेन सड़क परियोजनाएं निर्माणाधीन हैं। जिनके निर्माण के कारण पहाड़, कृषि भूमि, निजी घरों,भूमिगत जल और जंगलों को भारी नुकसान हो रहा है। किरतपुर मनाली फोर लेन सड़क के निर्माण में 14 (दो ट्यूब वाली) सुरंगें लगभग बन चुकी हैं। टीवीएम मशीन का प्रयोग इस निर्माण कार्य में नहीं किया गया। इस कारण निर्माण के दौरान बहुत सी दुर्घटनाएं भी हुई तथा आज पहाड़ के दरकने की बहुत सी घटनाएं हो रही हैं। भूमि कटाव का ज्यादा असर मंडी कस्बे से उपर हो रहा है क्योंकि यहां पहाड़ की ढलान अधिक है व पहाड़ भी कच्चे हैं। पंडोह और आउट के बीच में सबसे ज्यादा पहाड़ खिसकने का खतरा बना हुआ है। क्योंकि एक तो पंडोह डैम की झील सड़क के नीचे है और दूसरे छोर पर लारजी डैम की झील तथा सुरंगें इसी सड़क के नीचे बनी है। यह पूरा पहाड़ कच्चा है और पहाड़ की ढलान बहुत अधिक है। इन्हीं टनलों व सड़क चौड़ा करने के कारण भटवाड़ी पंचायत के शाला नाल गांव तथा आसपास के उप गांवों के घरों, खेतों और जंगल में में दरारें आ गई हैं। यही स्थिति थलौट से हनोगी व ओट तक बनी हुई है। किसी दिन पूरा कई किलोमीटर का इलाका धस सकता है। किरतपुर मनाली फोर लेन कार्य 2013 में शुरू हुआ जबकि भूमि अधिग्रहण 2011 में किया गया था। बिलासपुर व मंडी में aquisition प्लान में बहुत सी खामियां हैं। मूल दस्तावेज उपलब्ध नहीं है और जो दिखाए जा रहे हैं वह उसकी फोटो कापी है। उपलब्ध दस्तावेज का मिलान इस कारण निर्मित सड़क से नहीं हो रहा है। वन भूमि का भी स्थिति भी यही है। सड़क कहीं और निर्मित हुई व कागजों में स्थिति कुछ और है। इस कारण लगता है कि निजी व वन भूमि पर अवैध कब्जा तथा पेड़ों का भी अवैध कटान हुआ। आप के विचार इस मुद्दे पर आमंत्रित किए जाते हैं। गुमान सिंह |
Discussion on the effect of unscientific and big construction works in Himachal Pradesh. Today we are only discussing about the damage to forests, mountains, agricultural land and houses due to erosion caused by the construction of some four lane roads and hydropower projects in Himachal Pradesh. Big dams like Bhakra and Pong were built in Himachal Pradesh. The work of Nathpa Jhakhri Hydroelectric Project started in 1993. After 20-25 years, the villages Nathpa, Kandar and Niuglassery situated above the tunnel of this project started sinking. Two years ago, a landslide occurred on the national highway over the tunnel of this project near Niuglassery, in which a bus came under its grip. 28 people died in this accident. Several tunnels of the Karchham Bangtu project were excavated in 2011-12 from below the Urni Dhank. The farmers here were given lands on top of this mountain after the 1962 war as their flat land on the banks of the Satluj was taken away for the use of the army. Now this mountain is continuously sinking down, in whose JD the national highway also came and it had to be diverted across the river. Due to the crack of this mountain, the apple orchards, fields and residences of the farmers have been destroyed. A so-called scientific survey was conducted of the damage caused by the Kachham Bangtu project. These scientists told in the report that this land erosion is happening due to natural calamity, the project has nothing to do with it. Other farmers are irrigating the gardens due to which soil erosion is taking place. The construction work of Jangi-Thopan hydroelectric project is still going on. The villages Jangi, Rarang, Akpa and Khadra are at risk of heavy damage from the project. The lands, apple orchards and houses of these villages can collapse anytime. The work was halted for many years due to public protest but the work was resumed during the previous government. Blasting is being done on the pretext of breakdown of TVM machine. Bajoli Holi Hydroelectric Project is under construction in Chamba district. Village Jharauta has suffered a lot due to water flow due to crack in its tunnel, land is sinking and cracks have appeared in many houses. Similarly, the same situation prevails in many other projects as well. Currently four four lane road projects are under construction in Himachal Pradesh. Due to whose construction, huge damage is being caused to mountains, agricultural land, private houses, underground water and forests. In the construction of Kiratpur Manali four lane road, 14 (two tube) tunnels are almost completed. TVM machine was not used in this construction work. Because of this, many accidents also happened during the construction and today many incidents of mountain cracking are happening. More effect of land erosion is happening above Mandi town because here the slope of the mountain is more and the mountains are also raw. The risk of landslides is highest between Pandoh and Out. Because on the one hand the lake of Pandoh Dam is under the road and on the other end the lake and tunnels of Larji Dam are built under this road. This whole mountain is raw and the slope of the mountain is very high. Due to these tunnels and widening of the road, cracks have appeared in the houses, fields and forests of Shala Naal village of Bhatwadi panchayat and the surrounding sub-villages. The same situation prevails from Thalout to Hanogi and Ot. Someday the entire area of several kilometers may get buried. Kiratpur Manali four laning work started in 2013 while land acquisition was done in 2011. There are many flaws in the acquisition plan in Bilaspur and Mandi. The original document is not available and what is being shown is a photocopy of the same. The available documents are not matching with the road constructed for this reason. The condition of forest land is also the same. The road was constructed elsewhere and the situation on paper is different. Because of this, it seems that illegal occupation of private and forest land and illegal felling of trees also took place. Your views are invited on this issue. Guman Singh |
Joshimath Disaster: An inevitable result of long neglect of scientific warnings, of gross financialization of nature and total lack of Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies!
(circulated by PSushila in WA)
Joshimath woke up to large cracks on roads and houses with muddy water seeping from them, not in one or two but in over 600 houses! News media and portals are now calling it the ‘sinking’ town’! Relief and evacuation operations have started but proceeding at snail's pace, with hundreds of families forced to spend near-zero temp nights under flimsy shelters. In its usual casual manner, the bjp chief minister of Uttarakhand has talked about constituting yet another "committee to investigate", despite the fact that the underlying causes are well known for about 50 years now, with recommendations and warnings by earlier expert committees violated with impunity!
This historical place that is the gateway to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib was long known to be a land subsidence zone by experts! There are 4-5 primary reasons why it is so, but the govt and its agencies - "chardham mahamarg vikas pariyojana" and NTPC -- criminally neglected to act upon expert advice. Today's disaster is a direct result of that.
1. Joshimath town sits on the loose debris of a century old landslide. This itself should have been reason enough not to permit massive construction and infrastructure projects here.
2. The region falls in seismic zone-V, or the highest risk of earthquakes. a number of small and medium earthquakes happened in the vicinity, plus the major chamoli earthquake of 1999 (6.6--6.8 in richter scale) shook up the already unstable base of the town.
3. The area is undercut by several fast flowing mountain rivers like the Dhauliganga, rishiganga, Alaknanda and others. Increasing heavy rainfalls and flash floods, made worse by erratic climate (recent Dhauliganga disaster is just an example) are fast eroding the "toe region" of these hills, leading to greater instability and possibility of slides for the overlying soil - taking all the structures along .
4. Gross commercialization of the fragile Himalayas for both "religious and nature tourism", without any consideration of 'carrying capacities' was encouraged and massive construction in the town was allowed in the name of economic growth, with large and heavy hotels and other construction booming.
5. Total failure of responsible governance & accountability of investment - in spite of all these being common knowledge for about 50 years now. Major land destabilizing infrastructure projects like the "char dham all weather road", the "Vishnugad Hydroelectric project" etc were given environmental clearance and carried out with total disregard to safety, accelerating the disaster.
The 1976 "Mishra Commission", with experts from specialized agencies and constituted by the then government, made very clear observations about most of these vulnerabilities. It clearly warned against heavy construction activities, removing base boulders, disturbing the underlying soil etc. Yet, those 'prohibited' activities are exactly those that both NTPC and 'chardham road' violated. Thus they are directly responsible for the current disaster, along with successive governments of Uttarakhand and the centre.
Investments in unsustainable Hydel Power Projects is a cause for major concern in the fragile Himalayan ecology
While Joshimath is in the news cycle right now, it is by no means an aberration. To throw caution to wind at the altar of development and growth has in fact become the norm. The fragile topography of the Himalayas from Himachal to Sikkim bears the risks of such mindless play of dice. One of the causal factors that stand out for such a disaster, even the government's own experts agree, is the Tapovan - Vishnugarh HydroElectric Power Project located below the major city!
While a lot is being talked about today in terms of emergency measures, rehabilitation and demolition, not much is being said about how this came about? Or more importantly how did such rampant construction get the requisite clearances? Or who in fact is funding such projects? Where is the money coming from?
Construction started at the Hydroelectric Power Project in 2006 with an estimated cost of Rs. 29,785 Million (USD 677 Million) was scheduled to be commissioned in 2012 -13. After the destruction of the 2013 and 2021 floods washing away the constructions, the project was scheduled to be commissioned this year! The project has already been delayed and carries a Rs. 1500 crore loss due to the delays! Despite being in a highly seismic and ecologically fragile Himalayan area the project got Environment and Forest clearances in 2004 and the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA). The money came from the Asian Development Bank.
The EIA report submitted by NTPC to Asian Development Bank mentions Uttarakhand is a seismically active state classed under seismic zones IV and V on the Seismic Zoning Map of India Its assessment of impacts focuses on four major components - hydrology that focuses only on the reduced river flow between barrage, aquatic ecosystems focusing on prevention of upstream fish movement, land resources on the loss of agricultural and forest land and the resettlement of 57 households. Even though the EIA claims to have done a detailed assessment of the land, soil and impacts, it does not take into account the impact of the construction process on the geology and ecology of the place. Particularly since it is a landslide prone area. Even after the constructions were washed away in the 2013 and 2021 floods, the project was not stalled or stopped but continued construction once again! Nor does it take into account the now prophetic directions of the Mishra Committee.The EIA in fact justifies the project on the ground of its contribution to growth and the need for clean energy while giving a blind eye to it's not so clean consequences.
Need for robust Environmental and social safeguards in development finance
The fact that such unviable and unsustainable projects get clearance goes on to show the problems around implementation even as some of these multinational development banks like the ADB claim to have environmental and social safeguards in place. What it also shows is the sorry state of affairs when it comes to our own banks that have no such safeguards in place when it comes to development lending.
A slew of Indian Financial institutions have their fingers in the pie! NTPC has raised hundreds of crores through issue of bonds by showing the Tapovan - Vishnugarh project as one of the ‘securities’. LIC, Central Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank are some of the institutional lenders to these bonds. This is not just with this one project, as of March 2017, long-term loan borrowing of NHPC stood at Rs. 17,246 crores which includes secured loans. The secured loans include borrowings from domestic banks and financial institutions like State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, ICICI Bank Limited, Jammu & Kashmir Bank Limited, Bank of India, Axis Bank, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank, Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, Kotak Mahindra Bank, RBL Bank, Life Insurance Corporation, Power Finance Corporation, and Rural Electrification Corporation. Not a single one of these institutions have an environment and safeguard policy with accountability mechanisms!
Such disasters are rude reminders of the mindless model of development that is being forced down on us financed by our own institutions!
We the undersigned demand:
1. Immediate stalling of the Tapovan - Vishnugad hydro project
2. A review and reduction of all major destructive projects in the Himalayan region
3. Need for environment and social safeguards policy for indian financial institutions
Though experts suggested that heavy construction should be prevented in the area more than four decades ago, governments have pushed through a hydel project and an ambitious yet controversial highway project in the region. https://thewire.in/environment/joshimath-himalayas-explainer-warnings-reports-construction-ntpc
The report by the Committee, which The Wire accessed, noted that the town of Joshimath is situated where it should ideally never be: on an “ancient landslide”, a mixture of sand and stone. Thus, surface water – from rains or snow melts – can percolate into the loose soil and destabilise the land, resulting in landslides, it noted.
This movement of earth in the subsurface can cause the land to settle down, or ‘sink’ – a phenomenon called land subsidence. Studies show that the extraction of ground water can also cause subsidence. Heavy construction activities such as blasting and underground tunnelling (which, as per residents, currently occur in the landscape as part of the ongoing Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel power project) can aggravate the situation.
In fact, “vibrations produced by blasting and heavy traffic will also lead [to] disequilibrium in natural factors”, the 1976 Mishra report noted.
11/01/2023