SHIMLA: With their protests having failed to impact power corridors of the state, tribals in Lahaul-Spiti, who are opposing the 400MW Seli hydro project on Chenab river, have now decided that no villager would rent their houses to project officials, and they will be barred from entering their villages. The protesters have called for a bandh in the tribal district on June 5. They said that felling of trees would spoil the green cover and this in turn would bring down the oxygen levels further.
RTI activist Devashish Bhattacharya said that a major chunk of the hydro projects with a generation capacity of 3,324.7MW are situated in Lahaul-Spiti.
While setting up of the project leads to development in the area, tribals under Udaipur panchayat are in no mood to allow any project to come up fearing displacement of rocks. "We will not rent out our houses and no project official would be allowed to enter our villages," said Sudershan Thakur, convener of the Seli project sangarsh samiti who is now preparing to approach the court. Thakur said that residents of Ratoli, Salpat, Koraki and Namu have already passed a resolution not to give a no objection certificate (NOC) to the project. "We are opposing the project since it falls in the ecologically-fragile area of Lahaul-Spiti and would ruin villages besides causing harm to flora and fauna".
Former vice-chairman of Lahaul-Spiti Zila Parishad Dhyan Singh Thakur said that Ratoli and Salpat villages would be perished if the project is realized. Ever since the pollution control board conducted public hearing, resentment has been growing against the project. This is evident from the fact that after submitting a memorandum to chief minister Virbhadra Singh, a public petition is being signed by the tribals which would be submitted to green bench of the high court.
Major power projects proposed in Lahaul-Spiti
Seli power project-320MW
Jispa power project-300MW
Miyar hydro project-120MW
Reoli-Dugli -420MW