WITHDRAW HULL HYDRO PROJECT

TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION AGAINST PERPRETATORS OF VIOLENCE ON SAAL GHAATI BACHAO SANGHARSH MORCHA ACTIVISTS!


Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal

As you may already be aware, on 14th February 2010, five people, including Zilla Parishad Member and veteran environmentalist, Ratan Chand, Up-pradhan Jadera Gram Panchayat, Mansingh (Chamba District) and three other residents Hemraj, Laxman and Manoj, were attacked and seriously injured by contractors of the Hul Hydro Power Private limited. The attack happened at village Chungah (Silla Gharat Panchayat) where the villagers had gathered to hold a meeting a to oppose the construction of the 3.8 MW Hul Hydroelectric project being constructed on the Hul Nala, a tributary of the Ravi River. The locals of several Panchayats in the Saal Valley, who have mobilized under the banner of the Saal Ghaati Bachao Sangharsh Morcha had been opposing the construction of the hydroelectric project due to its impacts on the local forests, water resources and environment since 2005. Several peaceful rallies have been carried out against the projects in the last 5 years.

While this is not the first time that incidence of violent suppression of democratic and peaceful agitations and peoples struggles have happened in the state, this is a first incident of its kind, where local contractors and goons at the behest of vested interests have dared to use muscle power so blatantly. Such incidents are huge blotch on the State that claims to be a peaceful one practising 'good governance' and infact prove the failure of the administration on protecting its own people.

It is truly ironic that while you were in another country, Costa Rica, to learn about 'Payment of Eco-systems Services, one of the veteran and well known grassroots leader and environmentalist from your state, Shri Rattan Chand Sharma was a victim of this violence. A man who has, through years of community mobilisation, changed the face of the Saal Valley under the 'Greening of the Himalayas' programme and many other local initiatives, had to pay the price of his security and safety to protect the environment and local livelihoods of the Saal Valley.

In the wake of the attacks on the activists of the Saal Ghaati Sangharsh Morcha, we vehemently continue question the anti-people and anti-environment Hydropower Policy of the state of Himachal Pradesh. The state has seen various agitations in the last five to ten years where communities being dispossessed of their rights on natural resources by hydro-power, both large and small, projects. The government of Himachal has been pushing the small hydro-projects as "eco-friendly" projects but struggles like the one against the Hull Hydro power projects in Chamba district clearly demonstrates that this is far from the truth. Local populations do not stand to gain anything from the massive amounts of money being spent on the small hydro plants that to supply power outside the state and instead they stand to lose their access to forests and streams that they are dependent on for irrigation, drinking water, watermills and fisheries.

We, as concerned citizens from across the state and country, demand:

 Immediate action against the perpetrators of the violent attack that occurred on 14th February 10 vide a judicial enquiry into the matter
 Immediate Scrapping of the Hull I Hydro Project in Chamba
 A review of the state's Hydropower Policy from the perspective of impacts on local livelihoods and the environment

Thank you

Saal Ghaati Bachao Sangharsh Morcha

Endorsed by