Past submerged, Tehri powers its way to future

Tehri, Aug 3: The lake shimmers green and gold in the sunlight hiding in its depths the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Tehri, except for the spire of the palace, sticking above the water.

Up on the hillside in New Tehri, the newly-built township to rehablitate the displaced people, people go about their work and the past years of the long-drawn out agitation to save their original habitation is all but forgotten.

The Tehri lake, formed by the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Bhilangana rivers, came into being with the construction of the largest dam in Asia and third largest in the world.

Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde formally inaugurated the dam on July 30 and said it would initially produce 170 MW of electricity. The output has already reached 250 MW and it has started supply to the northern grid.

The Power Minister said about 8000 crore has been spent till now out of which 1175 crore has been on rehabilitation and resettlement of people.

While Delhi would receive 103 MW and Uttar Pradesh 374 MW, Uttaranchal will receive free electricity worth 120 MW.

The Tehri Hydel Project's projected capabilities include power generation capacity of 2400 MW to be supplied to the northern grid to mainly benefit Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

The three -phase project involves the construction of a 1000 MW Hydro Power complex in the first phase, a 1000 MW pump storage plant in the second and finally a 400 MW Koteshwar hydro project.

The first phase is scheduled to be completed later this year and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to dedicate it to the nation.

The dam has been the object of intense protests from environmental groups and the people of this region. The issue of relocation of more than 100,000 people of the area resulted in protracted legal battles and delayed the project considerably. The project proposal was studied by several groups and in 1980 the commission appointed by the then prime Minister went to the extent of asking for its scrapping. However, in 1986, the Russian government pledged administrative and technical support and a Rs 100 crore accord was signed, following which New Delhi gave its green signal in 1987.

The Planning Commission had approved the 198 crore project with power generation capacity of 600 MW way back in 1972. From then on started the long battle between the government and different stakeholders.

Among the people relocated, some in Rishikesh complained that water does not reach their fields and basic civic amenities like hospitals and schools are situated far away. Some 200 families of Dobra, Asena and Ghunti Gojiyana in Tehri have been shifted to this region.

Suraj Singh Chauhan, one of the resettled told media persons from New Delhi that there is shortage of electricity in their area.

Mohan Singh Rawat complained that the irrigation canal failed to provide adequate water and government's promises of other compensations have also not been met.

Again, there is no end to complains of the people relocated to a hilltop in Pratapnagar. There is a big lake between New Tehri and Pratapnagar and people face problems crossing it. Bandh Prabhawit Sangarsh Samiti Chairperson Jabra Rana said the cost of living has increased manifold and all sorts of complications have crept in.

However, Panchayat member in the New Tehri region Sundar Singh Chauhan feels differently. He said the project has benefited them in many ways. The youth in the villages now get employment opportunities and do not migrate to cities as earlier.

North India will be largely benefited from this ambitious project which promises huge revenues to to Uttaranchal. But the pointed spire of the palace in the lake symbolises the sacrifice of these people.

Talk to anyone in New Tehri, and tales of mental agony at losing their ancestral home and property would gush forth in a torrent.

UNI