Jumat, 11 Desember 2015
Letters to NRGBA 16-04-12
To,
Dr.ManmohanSingh
ThePrimeMinisterofIndia
&Chairmanof
TheNationalRiverGangaBasinAuthority,
PrimeMinister?sOffice,
7,RaceCourseRoad,NewDelhi110001 AND
AllmembersofNRGBA
c/oUnionMinistryofEnvironmentandForests
ParyavarahanBhawan,CGOComplex,
NewDelhi110001
Ref:DonotHindertheRiverPinder
TheonlyUn-dammedmajorconfluenceandtributaryofNationalRiverGangainUttarakhand
RespectedSirs&Madams,
WewouldliketobringtoyourattentiontheissueofsavingRiverPinder,whichistheonlymajortributaryofNationalRiverGangainUttarakhandthatremainsun-dammed.ThePinderRiveroriginatesfromPindariGlasierinKumaun,Uttarakhand.
MeaningofGanga
UttarakhandisthemotherlandofNationalRiverGanga.InUttarakhand,theGangagetsitsnameatDevprayagwhere?BhagirathiGanga? and?VishnupadiAlaknandaGanga? meetwithalltheirtributaries.TheViashnupadiAlaknandagangahas5PRAYAGs/confluencesnamed-
Vishanuprayag(Alaknanda-Dhouli);Nandaprayag(Nandakini-Alaknanda);Karnaprayag(Pinder-Alaknanda);Rudraprayag(Mandakini-Alaknanda)andDevprayag(Alaknanda-Bhagirathi)
MapofDamsonNationalGangaRiverinUttarakhandisattachedasAnnexure-1
Fortunately,KarnaprayagisyettobedestroyedandPinderRiverisstillenjoyingitsuninterruptedfreeflow.
CultrualsignificanceofPinderRiverandKarnaprayag
ThePindervalleyisthepathoftheJaatyatra,theRajJaatyatraofNandaDevi,whichhasbeengoingonsincecenturiesintheregionandisofhugeculturalandreligioussignificancetonotonlythelocals,butforthePilgrimsallovertheworld.NandaDevi(goddess)RaajraatYatra,alsocalledtheMahaKumbhyatra(pilgrimage),seedetailsinAttachedAnnexure-2
PinderValleyHillsarenotstable:Landslidesongoingphenomena
Pindervalleyhasseenthedevastationduetofrequentlandslides,thelatesteventsoccurredduringmonsoon2010.ThewholePindervalleyisvulnerabletolandslides,specificallythreeBlocksofDeval,tharaliandNarayanbagarwhereallthesedamsareproposedarespeciallyvulnerable,seeAttachedAnnexure-3
DamsandPeopleinPinderValley
ThepeopleareopposingthesedamsinthePinderValleyfromtheplanningstage.Thepeoples'angercameoutinmanywaysrepeatedly,butspeciallyattheenvironmentalpublichearings.InthefirstenvironmentalpublichearingfortheproposedDevsariHEP(252MW)atVillageKulsarion13October2009,peoplewerenotinformedofthepublichearing,andtheysatindharna.Thehearingwasthus,suspended.ThesecondpublichearingatvillageDevalon22July2010hadthepoliceandadministrationworkingtogethertodoanythingintheirpowertoconductapublichearing,evenifitwasinviolationoftheletterandspiritofthesehearings.Butthepeopleagaindidnotallowthishearingtotakeplace,andthisledtoitspostponement.Beforethethirdpublichearingwasheldon20January2011,thepeoplereceivednewsthatthehearingwastobeheldinTharali.InsteadthehearingwasheldinChepduvillage,wherepublicwasnotallowedtoenter,orexpresstheirviews,theywerebarricadedfromthearea.
Thelocalcommunitieswithsupportingorganisationsorganiseda"Peoples'PublicHearing"andcallednationallyrenownedenvironmentalistsandexpertstoitspanel.Theseincluded:Prof.MeherEngineer,Mr.ManojMishra,Dr.ShekharPathak,Dr.SudhaVasanandDr.SanjayKumar.Thispublichearingwasheldonthe3April2011attheconfluenceofRiverKailandPinder.Over2000peoplecamefromallthevillagestobeaffectedbyandsurroundingtheproposedDevsariHEPinthePindervalley.
Conclusionof"Peoples'PublicHearing"Panelis--
?AccordinglyitisourconsideredviewthattheprojecttodamtheriverPindermustnot
beimposedonthepeopleofPindervalleyinthefaceoftheirvehementand
widespreadrejectionofthesame.?
InviewofthesefarreachingandsignificantissuesforthepeopleofPinderValley,Uttarakhandthewholenation,andfuturegenerations,weurgeyou,thePrimeMinsterofIndiaandtheChairpersonoftheNationalGangaRiverBasinAuthorityandallotherrepectedmemberofNRGBAtotakesomemonumentaldecisions;
- The National Ganga River Basin Authority must leave the Pinder River undammed in its entirety.
- The National Ganga River Basin Authority must put a stay on all the dam projects proposed on the River Pinder.
Withbestregards
OnbehalfofMatuJansangthanandBhuswamiSangharshSamiti
Vimalbhai,SubhashPurohit,Saumya,DineshPurohit,MamtaShah,NeemaParihar,
MadanMishra, BalwantAgri,DineshMishra,SurendraParihar,BirSingh,
MahipatSingh Kaithat,K.D.Mishra, RajendraSinghandallotherSathi-Sathine
Attachments- 1-MapofDamsonNationalGangaRiverinUttarakhand.
2-OnculturalAspect
3-PinderValleyHillsarenotstable
Annexure-2
CulturalaspectofPinderValley
ThesacredriverPinderistheonlyriverinUttarakhandthathasnotbeendammedasyet.ItisoneofthemaintributariesofRiverGanga.ThisGangaissupposedtofreethedepartedsoulsandhence,itwasnamedPinder,wherepindmeansdeathrites.ThisrivermeetsAlaknandaatKarnaprayag,andthenAlaknandameetsMandakiniatRudraprayagandfinally,meetsBhagirathiatDevprayagtoformtheGanga,astheriveriscalledfromthereon.ThisGangafinallymeetstheGangaSagarandthus,freesthesoul.ThesangamatDevalistheonlysangaminthecountrywherethewatersof5riversmeet-theKarganga,thePinderiganga,Saraswatiganga,Pandiganga,Pushpaganga,ThatiswhyitiscalledthePanchMahaprayag,whichisnolessreveredthanBadrinathorKedarnath.ThePindervalleyisalsothepathoftheJaatyatra,theRajJaatyatraofNandaDevi,whichhavebeengoingonsincecenturiesintheregionandisofculturalandreligioussignificancetonotonlythelocals,buttoHindusallovertheworld.ThesangamatDevalisthespotwherepilgrimsmustbathewhileontheNandaDevi(goddess)RaajraatYatra,alsocalledtheMahaKumbhyatra(pilgrimage).ThePindervalleyisalsohometotheBhramakapaalShilastone,whichaccordingtoHindumythologyisfoundatonlytwoplaces-Badrinath,andDeval.
Annexure-3
PinderValleyHillsarenotstable:Landslideisongoingphenomena
ThemassivelandslidesoccurredinthewholeUttarakhandinmonsoon2010.ItiswidelyknownthatUttarakhandhasbeenclassifiedinSeismicZonesIVandV,whichmeansthatitisunderconstantdangerofearthquakes.Duetotheincreasingnumberofdamprojects,manyareashavebecomemorevulnerabletolandslidesandseismicactivities.MatuandotheraffectedpeoplehadwrittentotheGeologicalSurveyofIndia(GSI)regardingthePindervalleyintheChamolidistrict.ThevillagesaroundthePinderRiverhavebeenthesitesofmanylandslidesthisyearanditisoftheutmosturgencythatthisareaisbesurveyed.
Theextentofdevastationcausedbythelandslidehasbeenseriouslyunderestimatedbytheadministration.Forexample;thevillageofSunauwasestablishedontopoftheruinsofapastlandslide.Around150yearsago,amajorlandslidewipedouttheentirevillage.Laterpeoplefromotherareascameandsettleddownhere.Intheyearof2010landslidesagainputtheresidentsatrisk.ThearablelandbelowandaroundtheprimevillageoftheSunagrampanchayathasbeencompletelydamagedbythelandslides.Allthelocalwaterresourceslikegadheras(streams)andsmallwaterfallsnecessaryforthesevillageshavebeenbadlyhitbylandslidesaswell.AtPadmalla,agirllostherlifewhenherhousecollapsed.Thecowandgoatperishedwithher.TheconditionoftheKunniparthavillageisevenworse.Itneedstobecompletelyrehabilitated.Theseareonlyfewexamples,thesituationofwholePindervalleyhillsareunderthreatoflandslide.
Duetothefact,thatiftheDevsariHEPistobebuiltatNandkesriitstunnelhastounderpassthevillagesofPaingad,Sunau,Devalgad,Soona,Tharali,Kunnipartha,Chepdu,Nandkesari,etc,allthewaytillPaithani.Therefore,thereisanurgentneedofafullgeologicalinvestigationoftheseproject-affectedareas.
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To,
Dr.ManmohanSingh
ThePrimeMinisterofIndia
&Chairmanof
TheNationalRiverGangaBasinAuthority,
PrimeMinister?sOffice,
7,RaceCourseRoad,NewDelhi110001 AND
AllmembersofNRGBA
c/oUnionMinistryofEnvironmentandForests
ParyavarahanBhawan,CGOComplex,
NewDelhi110001
Ref.:"SaveGanga"?? theessenceofIndianCulture&Society.
RespectedSirs/Madam,
WeatMatuJansangthanhavebeenworkingintheGangaandYamunavalley,Uttarakhandformorethanadecade.Ouraimistoprotecttheenvironmentandpeoples'rightstotheirnaturalresources.Wehavedeepconcernsforourmother,theriverGanga,andthewayinwhichthecourseandstateoftheriverisdamagedbyhydropowerprojects.Weareprimarilyconcernedwiththewayinwhichtheseprojectsaregivenclearances..
WefindthattheNationalRiverGangaBasinAuthority,whichisheadedbythePrimeMinisterofIndiaandmemberssuchasyourselfisnotfulfillingitsrealpurpose.WefindthatnothinghascomeoutoftheeffortstosaveMotherGangatilldate.
MeaningofNationalRiverGanga
UttarakhandisthemotherlandofNationalRiverGanga.InUttarakhand,theGangagetsitsnameatDevprayagwhere?BhagirathiGanga? and?VishnupadiAlaknandaGanga? meetwithalltheirtributaries.ViashnupadiAlaknandagangahas5PRAYAGs/confluencesnamed-
Vishanuprayag(Alaknanda-Dhouli); Nandaprayag(Nandakini-Alaknanda);
Karnaprayag(Pinder-Alaknanda); Rudraprayag(Mandakini-Alaknanda) and
Devprayag(Alaknanda-Bhagirathi)
MapofDamsonNationalGangaRiverinUttarakhandisattachedasAnnexure-1&2
TheimpactofcommissionedandunderconstructionHEPsputstheNationalRiverGangaValleyingravedanger.(Annexure-3)
HEPsareshorttermsourcesofenergywhiletheNationalRiverGangaisnotonlyanecosystem,butalsooneofthemainbirthplacesofIndianculture.ThisisevidencedbythefactthatthefirstPrimeMinisterofIndia,the LatePt.JawaherLalNehrujiconsideredtheGangajiaHistoricallyimportanticonoftheNation.Thereareotherpermanentsourcesforgenratingenergy,theseshouldbeconsider.(Annexure-4)
Webelievethatasthaorfaithisanintegralpartofhumansandourrelationshipwithnature,anditisimportantnottoignorebuttoconservethissentimentasithasledtothehealthofourenvironment.Forthisreason,itisintegraltounderstandingissuesoftheenvironment,ecologyandofpeoples'rightstonaturalresources.
Developmentplaningcannotbebasedontheexploitationofnaturalresources,itmustbeecologicallybalanced.Inthisway,thedevelopmentofthefuturemustincorporatewhatwehavelearntfrompastecologicalmistakes.
Theflow,andlifeoftheNationalRiverGangaareindangerwiththeconstructionofbigdams,thustheNRGBAcannotallowtheconstructionofseveralgiganticdamstothreatenourrivers.
TheneedofthehouristotakeboldstepstopreservetheMotherGangaaswhole.
Thus,werequestyouto:-
- Spare Gangaji from the devastation that will be caused by under construction and planned Hydro Electric Projects.
- To ensure this, repeal the Environment and Forest clearances of all Hydro Electric projects on the 'Bhagirathi Ganga' and 'Vishnupadi Alaknanda Ganga,' as well as on all their tributaries.
- Conduct a comprehensive credible and independent study on the impacts of HEPs and the ways in which we can protect Gangaji.
- The terms and conditions of conducting this Study should be made public. Peoples' organizations, independent environmentalists and social activists should be the part of the report making process.
- The recent "Study on Assessment of Cumulative Impact of Hydropower Projects in Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Basins up to Dev Prayag" done by the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee is incorrect and should be abandoned immediately.
- Stop all construction of HEPs on Gangaji till aforementioned study is completed.
- 130 km of the Bhagirathi ganga was scheduled to be declares an Ecosenstive Zone. This should not be delayed.
Wehopeyouwillrespondtotheseconcernsimmediately.
Sincerlyyours,
VimalBhai(convener), Puran Singh Rana, Rajendra Singh Negi, Narendra Pokhriyal
Attachments:
- A English Map of Hydro Electric Projects on Bhagirathi Gangaji in Uttarakhand.
- A English Map of Hydro Electric Projects on Vishnupadi Alaknanda Gangaji in Uttarakhand.
- "Impacts of HEP in Ganga Valley" A study done by Matu Jansangthan
- Permanent sources of Energy
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Annexure-4
PERMANENTSOURCESOFENERGY,LIKE:-
- The Uttarakhand State has other permanent sources of power like- Wind energy, biomass energy etc. Why are they not being tapped?
- Solar, wind and biomass are big source of energy to fulfill at least village level demand. If the "Gharats" (Water Mills) are properly implemented, then the Uttarakhand villages will get a permanent source of employment, irrigation and electricity as well.
- The Panchayats or village level committee could also be kept incharge of such small projects.
- For point nor. 2 & 3, the need of tacnical assistance and funds must be arrange by Centre Govt. and State of UK Govt. NRGBA may direct for this.
reff : http://matuganga.blogspot.com/2012/04/letters-to-nrgba-16-04-12.html Tags:
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