Fourth Document
Tehri
Dam Project
Environment
– Rehabilitation
Towards
Failure and Devastation
Matu
Our Soil, Our Heritage
A movement of people uprooted from their soil in
Uttarakhand
This
Fourth Document
is
dedicated to all
those
who have been
warning
against the
dangers
of Tehri Dam
and
who have
been fighting for
their
rights.
We thank
all those friends and well wishers who have extended their cooperation to
prepare this document.
MATU-Peoples' organisation
Cover Photos:
- Warehouse
of grains in Khand Village, Bhagirathi Valley
- Announcement
of struggle the bank of Bhagirathi River by villagers of
Chaam,31-3-2002
- Agitation
of Tehri residents on Bhagirathi Bridge,31-3-2002
- Women
of village Bhaldiyana
- Women,
Still struggling in Tehri Town
Publisher: -
'MATU'-Peoples'
organisation
By-Village Chham, Tehri,
Uttrakhand.
By-D-105, Ganesh Nagar, Pandav Nagar
Complex,
Delhi-110092
Ph.-91+11+2063871
Email-Vimal_bhai@hclinfinet.com
Readers are free to cite or quote any portion of this
document, provided the source is mentioned.
Contribution-25
|
S.
No. |
CONTENTS |
Page
No. |
|
|
Our
Submission |
2 |
|
|
Tehri
Dam Project |
4 |
|
|
Executive
Summary |
5 |
|
1. |
Affected
Areas of Tehri Dam Project |
9 |
|
2. |
Safety-
Environment- Rehabilitation |
11 |
|
3. |
Rehabilitation
Policies |
13 |
|
4. |
Land:
Games Being Played |
18 |
|
5. |
Environmental
Clearance |
20 |
|
6. |
Who
Will be Submerged? With
the Dam: After the Construction of the Dam |
22 |
|
7. |
The
Cut off Area Indirectly
Affected Areas of the Dam |
24 |
|
8. |
Some
Important Contact Addresses |
25 |
|
9. |
Why
Secrecy and From Whom? |
26 |
|
10. |
Rehabilitation
(?) Sites |
29 |
|
11. |
Thanks
to the Monsoon!!! |
32 |
|
12. |
Water
Level in the Reservoir: As
Narrated by the Bridge |
33 |
|
13. |
Historical
Importance of Trihari (Tehri) |
35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annexures:
Some Important Documents |
|
|
1. |
Demand
Charter of MATU Peoples' Organisation |
38 |
|
2. |
Demand
Charter of Tehri Bhoomidhar Visthapit
Sangthan |
40 |
|
3. |
The
Resolution of 10th March, 2002 |
41 |
|
4. |
Dams
in Uttarakhand |
42 |
|
|
In
Their Own Words |
45 |
Our
Submission
In
November 2001, two reports on rehabilitation of Tehri displaced people were
published. The first report was published by 'Dams, Rivers and Peoples'
Network of South Asia' (SANDRP), which drew following inferences:
--------
(Testimonies
from the ground, www.janmanch.org/newsletter)
In summary, the principal findings of this report
are:
· There is practically no participation of TDP
affected people in the process of displacement, resettlement or rehabilitation,
even if we leave aside the lack of participation in project decision,
implementation and monitoring and options assessment.
· The present packages offered to people are
unjust and inadequate to ensure that resettlement will lead to attainment of
original standards of living.
· The R&R policy, packages and institutional
set up adopted for the project does not confirm to policies existing in India
for other projects like that of Sardar Sarovar Project, or to the draft National
R&R policy, or to the norms set out by the WCD report. For example, SSP
policy provides a minimum of five acres of irrigable land with irrigation
provided by the state, to each oustee family, with each major son above 18 years
considered a separate family. In the case of Tehri, the provision is for 2 acres
of unirrigated land, and even that is not applicable to all the
affected.
· Twenty-six years after project construction
began; there is still no R&R Master Plan.
· There is no information about the Rehabilitation
Monitoring Committee and
its grievance redressal function among the people,
giving rise to doubts about whether it has been constituted. The people have
neither been consulted by such a Committee, nor have they been able to put
across their grievances.
· There is no decision making process that would
have enforceable linkages with the construction of the dam and consequent
submergence and displacement. Legally enforceable norms on R&R are
conspicuous by their absence.
· While people report a
high incidence of corruption and nepotism, there is no independent, credible
Monitoring or Evaluation agency or system even regarding displacement,
resettlement and rehabilitation issues. Utter lack of transparency on the part
of the project and R&R authorities add to the doubts of achieving a just and
proper R&R.
Although
the dam is to be completed by 2002, or, even if as the Administrative Officer
said that it would take at least till 2005, a large majority of the people has
not been allotted their lands and where they have, rehabilitation is far from
satisfactory. Begun in 1976, it seems surprising, and alarming, that a quarter
of a century later, the rehabilitation process is nowhere near satisfactory
completion. The people live in perpetual fear of what the future will bring.
Stress and anger
levels within the communities are high. A lot of youth told
us that they would fight till their last if their lives were going to be
destroyed because without proper rehabilitation they were certain to die anyway.
Information is confused or non-existent and participation seems ill defined at
best, a word thrown in to sound politically correct, but lacking
substance.
The people displaced by the Tehri project seem to have a bleak
future --worse off than they were before the project; pauperized in the name of
development. Ironically called Tehri Development Project, this dam seems no
different from previous precedents of large dams, the failures of which are
acknowledged even by the Government of India (see GOI October
2000).
The
second report was published by 'Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties', which
highlighted rampant corruption and other irregularities prevailing in Tehri Dam
Project.
q
Out of a
total outlay of Rs. 582 crore for rehabilitation measures, only Rs. 94 crore has
been earmarked for the displaced people.
q
Out of
the budget for rehabilitation, residential premises for District Magistrate and
the Superintendent of Police at a cost of Rs. 47 lakhs and Rs. 43 lakhs
respectively. A sum of Rs. 2 crore was earmarked for a field hostel, though no
amount was spared for building 'Dharmashalas'.
q
Sale of
residential flats by the rehabilitation authorities like
builders.
q
Rehabilitation
becomes the business of moneybags.
q
Lack of
clear rehabilitation Policy and disregard for Government
Orders.
q
Significant
recommendations of Dr. Hanumantha Rao Committee were not
accepted.
q
Flawed
evaluation of socio-economic structure of the community.
q
Exodus
of people rather than meaningful rehabilitation is happening in
Tehri.
Even
after one year, the same situation prevails, without any worthwhile change in
sight. After one year of publication of these reports, the Diversion Tunnels NO.
T-3 and T-4 have been closed and the Central, State Government and the
Corporation made an announcement to the effect that Diversion Tunnels T-1 and
T-2 would be closed shortly. In spite of these developments, the State
Government is not seriously concerned about the issues of rehabilitation, what
to talk about the question of adequate compensation for land. Government,
Corporation officials and contractors are making constant visits to those places
from where construction materials have to be acquired and are giving false
assurances to the people that all their grievances would be resolved.
q
Soil was
taken for construction purposes from DOBRA village, yet the villagers have not
been fully rehabilitated.
q
The
people residing in CHHAM village of Bhagirathi Valley have forcibly stopped
survey work of houses. They are demanding that land should be physically shown
and house compensation and land rates should be settled before further
survey.
q
In the
adjacent villages of KHAND, BIDKOT, SAROT etc., neither the compensation amount
of land has not been finalised nor the issue of whether these villages have to
be declared partially or fully affected resolved so far.
q
Even
after 4 years of award, the displaced people have not been allotted land. For
instance, BIDKOT village in the Bhilangana Valley is yet to receive
land.
q
Since
stone has to be acquired form ASENA village in Bhilangana Valley for dam
construction, the government promised immediate rehabilitation. However, the
reality is that coercive means have been employed to suppress the struggles
launched by the villagers. 48 villagers had been put behind bars as of 8-9
December 2002.
q
Although
project authorities claim that they have offered land in Pathri
(haridwar District) to the displaced people, the reality is that
people have been repeatedly rejecting the offered land.
q
5
families returned from New Tehri in the third week of October to amenities-less
old township of Tehri.
After
long discussion with the affected people in the month of May 2002, MATU,
Peoples' Organisation prepared a Charter of Demands (Annexure-I), which was
submitted, to the Central and State Governments including all the members of
legislative assembly of Uttarakhand. In addition, a series of meetings have
taken place between the government agencies and Tehri Bhoomidhar Sangthan on
their Charter of Demands (Annexure-II), but the problems are yet to be
resolved.
In fact,
the amount of silt, which has already accumulated in the reservoir, should have
occurred in the next 25 years.
In this
context, the following issues are most topical:
q
Why the
reports of Geological Survey of India have not been made public so
far?
q
Why the
meeting of Co-ordination Committee on Rehabilitation has not been held for the
past one year?
q
Why the
Special Grievance Cell as recommended by Dr. Hanumantha Rao Committee and
approved by the Central Government, has still not been constituted?
Tehri Dam Project
1)Tehri
Dam
# For
generation of electricity, facilitation of irrigation and creation of a
conservation reservoir, a 260.5 m of Rock fill Dam was envisaged on the
Bhagirathi River.
# An
underground power-generating unit to generate 1,000 mega watts of electricity
(4x250 megawatts) through traditional turbine generating sets was to be set up
in the first phase of the construction of the Tehri Dam.
# In the
second phase of the construction of the Dam, another underground generating unit
to be set up with associated pump turbine units of a capacity of 4,000
megawatts.
2)
Koteshwar Dam
# On
Bhagirathi River, 22 Km. downstream from the Tehri Dam construction site in
Koteshwar, a concrete dam of 103.5 meters height, having a capacity of 400
(4x100 megawatts) would be set up for generating electricity and a balancing
water reservoir to be created in the same place.
# To
create two single circuit of transmission for transmitting 765 Kilo Volts of
electrical power form Tehri and Koteshwar projects and to lay electric lines to
the northern areas, particularly till Meerut.
Executive
Summary
Affected
Population, Families, Township and Villages
The
Tehri Dam Project has affected around 125 villages including the old Tehri town.
Tehri Township along with 39 villages is going to be fully affected and another
86 villages (number may possibly increase) would be partially affected. Wherever
less than 75 percent of the families are in the displaced category and have to
be rehabilitated, all those villages have been categorised as partially
affected. That means that even where 74 families out of a total population of
100 families are eligible for rehabilitation, they have been classified as
belonging to partially affected villages.
The
number of fully and partially affected villages may increase since a fresh
survey of the rim area by the Geological Survey of India has been commissioned.
One of the earlier reports by the Geological Survey of India had identified the
same area as unstable. Many villages are located in the unstable area and a
special mention had been made about three villages, namely KHOLA, KANGSALI AND
JALWALGAON in the report. However the process of land acquisition is still
continuing in the villages of the unstable area.
According
to a new estimate made by the Rehabilitation Directorate, around 5291 urban and
9238 rural families would be affected due to construction of Tehri Dam. 3810
rural families have been partially affected by the Dam.
In
reality, however the number of affected families is much higher. As of now, the
number of urban families displaced by the dam has reached 5,500 and the number
of rural displaced families is more than 12,000.
The
State Government has deliberately submitted lower figures of the displaced
families in the affidavits filed in the Supreme Court of India this year (2002)
while ignoring the actual situation on ground. The Govt. has still not compiled
aggregate statistics of the affected people. However, if it is assumed that each
urban family has roughly 5 and each rural family consists of 7 members, the
total number of affected persons, may in fact, be more than 1 lakh. Even 1605
families of government employees have been categorised as displaced
families.
Committees and their
Recommendations
Tehri
Dam had been mired by controversies even before it was cleared by the relevant
authorities. Though the announcement regarding the construction of the Dam was
made as early as 1965, the Planning Commission and Central Water Commission gave
their sanction after 7 years, that is, in the year 1972. And in 1976, the
project received administrative clearance from the Uttar Pradesh
Govt.
Though
many committees were constituted to evaluate the project from safety and
environmental aspects, but as far as rehabilitation of the displaced was
concerned, only one committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Hanumantha Rao was
constituted in 1996. Although the committee submitted its report in 14 months,
the Central Government took 13 months to decide on the recommendations. And when
in Dec. 1998, the Central Government ultimately gave its verdict; most of the
recommendations were either rejected or only partially accepted. For instance,
the Central Government instead of recognising an adult family to be eligible for
rehabilitation benefits as recommended by the committee decided to recognise as
additional member of the originally displaced family and granted ex-gratia
payments and that too with a cutback of 70 per cent in the amount to be
paid.
Changes in
Policies
The construction and rehabilitation work
of Tehri Dam was vested with the then Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department since
1989. Though there was no framework or guidelines in terms of rehabilitation
policy, the work was carried out in accordance with various Government Orders
(G.O.) issued from time to time. In 1989, a document called Rehabilitation Plan
was drawn up but the document only contained information about the estimates of
construction of Govt. office buildings in New Tehri (rehabilitation site of old Tehri
Town).
Tehri
Hydro Development Corporation prepared a document on rehabilitation in 1995.
But, by that time the Corporation had started sidelining the guidelines on
rehabilitation and G.O. issued
prior to 1989. Rehabilitation work proceeded at a very slow pace. More attention
was given to construction activities of the Dam. Priority was given to
influential sections in terms of distribution of land, houses and shops rather
than the original land and house owners. Even the G.O. specifying employment and
allotment of a house to one member of the displaced family was also given a go
by. Important changes were made in the provisions of the New Tehri Master
Plan.
The
promises, which were made in the Rehabilitation Policy Document of 1995, were
also not fulfilled. The Corporation ignored even the recommendation for creation
of Green Belt area as proposed earlier. The Corporation's claim that it had
fully accepted the rehabilitation policy enunciated by the Irrigation Department
prior to 1989 is also baseless. Even after 15-20 years of land acquisition in
Tehri, land ownership rights have not been conferred on the distributed land for
the displaced in new Tehri.
Even,
the Corporation did not properly implement many of the significant
recommendations of Dr. Hanumantha Rao Committee, which were partially accepted
by the Central Government. No action has been taken by the Corporation on the
Provisions contained in the Rehabilitation Policy of 1998 that was formulated on
the basis of Dr. Hanumantha Rao Committee's recommendation.
Land Acquisition
Process and Unrealistic Land Distribution Program
There
are great irregularities in the policy and practice of land acquisition. Land is
not being acquired and rehabilitation measures given effect to in accordance
with the principle that the land, which would be submerged, first should be
rehabilitated first Land acquisition and distribution has been carried out in
those villages, which are located at a higher level, rather than those villages,
which are located at a lower level. It has been observed that in those villages
where people were not influential enough in spite of the fact that these
villages would be submerged first.
Since
there was long gap between the cut off date (1976 in villages) and land
acquisition the rates for land was fixed arbitrarily. AD land acquisition is
taking place even after 25-26 years of the cut off date there should be rational
criteria for determining the rate etc. However, this is not being done. It has
been observed that there is as much as ten times variation in fixing land rates
for the same kind of land.
The
displaced people have not been given residential and agricultural land in spite
of the fact that there land had been acquired and compensation paid many years
earlier. As a result, the land prices shoot up by as 2-3 times in the
rehabilitation sites by the date of rehabilitation.
After Environmental
Clearance of the Dam
The
Ministry of Forest and Environment had given conditional clearance in July 1990
for the construction of the Tehri Dam. One of the stipulated Conditions
specified that a comprehensive study of the standard of the life of the
displaced the undertaken.
The
Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, was asked to conduct the study
related to the standard of the life of the affected people due to the
construction of Tehri Dam. The report was not only submitted after an inordinate
delay of two years in contravention of the recommendations of Ministry of
Forests and Environment it also did not take into account the data of urban
areas (particularly Tehri township). As a result, the report was unable to truly
reflect the educational and literacy levels, economic self-reliance and
alternative sources of income in the region. In a similar vein, a rehabilitation
package for the rim area could not be worked out as specified by the Ministry of
Forests and Environment. The Working Plan, which was enumerate for the cut off
area, is still in the preliminary stage. The full working plan is yet to be
accepted. The construction work of two important bridges linking Bhagirathi and
Bhilangana Valleys is also at a preliminary stage. While on the other hand, the
government and the project authorities have announced that November-December
2002 would close Diversion Tunnels No. 1 and 2. The process rehabilitation and
construction of the dam could not take place simultaneously, emphasized as
condition for Environment Clearance. It is a travesty of imagination that the
two affidavits which have been submitted by the Uttar Pardesh Government and
Tehri Hydro Development Corporation state that generation of hydroelectric power
would start by March 2003 while rehabilitation process would be completed by
June 2003.
Partial Submergence: Unrealistic
Demarcation
86
villages would be partially submerged by the Tehri Dam Project. This includes
those villages where 70-75 percent of families and land is going to be affected.
However, to be eligible for the status of a fully affected village has been
determined as 75 percent or more families and land, even those villages where
25-30 families would remain after submergence, have been affected. Although
denomination of villages as partially affected has been done on a mathematical
formula (wherever the land of 75 percent of the families is involved), no
estimates have been prepared to take into account the existence of link roads,
grazing places, local markets, civic amenities, 'Ghats' along the banks of the
river drains and the disintegration of social life. If the people are deprived
of all the amenities in villages where only 25 to 30 percent of the people would
be left (in some villages the number is as less as 5-10 families), how are they
going to subsist--- this question addressed by the various policies enunciated
so far? How are these people be expected to retain their existence and identity
as part of the village society?
Cut off
Area
Around
80,000 people are going to be indirectly affected by the construction of the
dam. The area is in Pratapnagar Tehsil. This area has been dependent on Tehri
Township for various civic amenities. Due to the construction of the dam and the
resultant reservoir, 6 bridges (two motorable and four pedestrian) on the
Bhagirathi and Bhilangana river would be submerged, thereby completely
disrupting the roads connecting the district, block, state and national capital
and other areas. As a result, the distance to be traversed between these places
would increase by 100 to 150 km. A
large part of the cut off area falls in the rim area of the dam and partially
submerged area.
The Secret Reports Of
Geological Survey of India
The idea
to construct a big Dam in the unstable and geologically sensitive mid-Himalayan
region has been mired by innumerable controversies. The government, on the other
hand, claims that the dam design has been prepared keeping in view the
geological aspects. Yet many questions arise. What would be the impact of the
reservoir on the mountain habitations?
The
Geological Survey of India has identified as unstable large tracts above the rim
area, which may face land slides in future due to the reservoir. Many villages
are located in this area. Though
the
report has been classified as secret, many significant issues highlighted by the
report have become public. The Geological Survey of India's report on the
construction of New Tehri Township has also been kept secret and its findings
have been ignored. Government and project officials are guaranteeing the safety
of the dam, whereas similar concerns regarding the safety of habitations have
not been expressed so far. Rampant use of explosives for the construction of
Tehri Dam has shaken the edifice of nearby villages, which are not even going to
be rehabilitated.
Tehri-New
Tehri
New
Tehri Township has been created since the original Tehri Township is going to be
in the submergence area of the dam. Though originally planned as a modern
Township, adequate land could not be acquired as envisaged by the Master Plan.
As a result, there is a shortfall of land for the new Township. Huge supporting
structures have been created even in the Green Belt area for constructing
buildings. This has given rise to not only environmental hazards but also poses
danger to life. Although the affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court of India
make tall claims regarding the planned construction of New Tehri Township, yet
it is full of inconsistencies. It
has been stated in the affidavit that the entire New Tehri township has been
laid with underground cable network, the reality is that the system lies in
shambles and like many other Townships in the country, New Tehri also exhibits
electric wires hanging form poles. The drinking water supply service also lies
in shambles. Recently, many of the displaced people who are yet to construct
their houses, have demanded that residential plots should be given to them in
Dehradun instead of New Tehri. Several people who had been living in Tehri for
generations are leaving for Dehradun as they perceive climatic changes in New
Tehri.
Even
after the monsoons, around 350 families are still residing in the township.
Though the authorities had sounded the warning that water level would reach 660m
above sea level, the maximum water level could touch only 648 m above sea level.
Post monsoon, the water level receded to 638m.
|
Also
read these publications, published on Tehri Dam: -
By Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties
By South Asia Network on Dams, River & People
(SANDRP)
By MATU
By MATU
By MATU |
{1}
Affected
Areas of Tehri Dam Project
|
Township-Village
— Population Figures of Displaced Families Extensive
Displacement
Fully affected
Partially Affected
Villages Town
/ village
86 (increase in
number possible)
37+2=39(increase in number possible)
3355+400+103= approx 3858 families
(Population – 30,000 approx.) Township
Tehri, 5291 families + 100 families (increase in number
possible) (Population
25000 approximately.)
Fully
Affected
Partially Affected 2074
families
Ineligible for rehabilitation Population
- 14000 approx.
3810 families (Increase in number possible)
Population - 25000 approx.
(Increase in number possible) |
The
Tehri Dam has affected a major chunk of population. Since land acquisition is
still continuing, and the findings of the survey of unstable areas is yet to see
the light of the day, there is every possibility that number of affected people
may register an increase.
According
to government figures, the number of fully affected families eligible for
rehabilitation at a different place is 5291 in urban areas and 5429 in rural
areas, which makes a total of 10720 families. Besides, there are 3810 partially
affected families who are not eligible for rehabilitation at a different place
as only less than 50 per cent of their land and other assets have been acquired.
Such
families would only receive cash payment as compensation for the acquisition of
their land and any other asset.
Though
comprehensive government data is not available, it is estimated that 70 to 75000
people may be fully affected and approximately 20-25000 would be partially
affected. The total number of the affected people would be to the tune of 90000
to 1 lakh.
In the
rural areas, there are only two categories of displaced families, namely,
landowners and landless agricultural labourers. Whereas, in the urban areas
there are many other categories made for rehabilitation. Even government
employees and organisations have been categorised as displaced
families.
Categories
of Displaced Families
|
Township |
Villages | |||
|
1 |
||||