Bahuguna for complete moratorium on hydro projects in Kinnuar

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Shimla, June 23 (UNI) Noted environmentalist Sunder Lal Bahuguna today called upon the Himachal Pradesh government to frame a comprehensive policy for harnessing only 40 percent of a river for power generation, while seeking a complete moratorium on hydro projects in Kinnaur district that bordering Tibet.

Talking to the mediapersons here after submitting a memorandum to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, he said over exploitation of Himalayan rivers was not only harmful to the environment but was also permanently damaging the culture of the Valley that had evolved over a very long period.

Mr Bahuguna asked the authorities to ensure that all environment norms were adhered to while projects were being executed in these sensitive zones.

''Kinnaur has an extremely fragile eco-system and the government needs to impose a moratorium on all hydro projects in that region,'' Mr Bahuguna said.

He asked the government to discourage environmentally polluting industries and sought a review of the state micro-hydel policy.

Referring to the run of the river hydel projects, the enviornmentalist said tunneling works were damaging to mountain systems and should be stopped.

As far as relief and rehabilitation schemes for people permanently uprooted in a project zone, he said a one-time compensation was only a temporary reprieve and should be replaced by compensation package which was spread out over the life span of the affected people.

About royalty from Himalayan water sources, he asked the state government to again take up the issue with the Centre as the state needed to be compensated for imposing a complete ban on felling of trees, he said.

Mr Bhauguna also called upon the State Government to take the lead in framing an environment policy for the entire Himalayas.

''Global warming was fast depleting glaciers and it had become imperative to formulate a common policy in which Himalayan nations from Afghanistan to Burma needed to join hands as the issue of water would severely affect the lives of people iving in the hills,'' he added.

UNI

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