Uttarakhand Village Submerged To Make Way For Hydel Project

With teary eyes, residents of Lohari village looked on helplessly as their homes, farmlands and cowsheds got submerged in the waters of the reservoir built as part of the 120 megawatt Vyasi hydropower project in Vikas Nagar area here on Monday.

The district administration says it is making all arrangements for the suitable relocation of the villagers and adequate compensation to them, but the painful moments of parting with something so close to their hearts will forever remain etched in their memories.

The villagers were served a 48-hour eviction notice on Saturday (April 9), officials said.

A group of women who lived in the village but has now moved to a temporary shelter nearby was seen sitting on a heap of stone chips to catch the last glimpse of their village as it was swallowed gradually by the waters of Vyasi reservoir.

Gumani Devi, an elderly woman, said she recalls every moment spent in the village vividly. "Memories of all the marriage functions and other celebrations that took place in the village came back to us as we saw it sinking," she said.

"It is hard to believe that the village is gone, that it is a thing of the past," she said in a choking voice.

Small children were also seen recording the sad spectacle on their mobile phone cameras.

The process to submerge the village began several months ago, and is likely to conclude on Tuesday evening as part of the long-awaited hydel project which will play a crucial role in addressing the electricity requirements of the state. "The submergence of the village has affected about 77 families," Dehradun District Magistrate R Rajesh Kumar told PTI.

Several rounds of meetings were held with the villagers before they were served with a notice to vacate it, he said.

However, they have been adequately compensated and we are looking for a piece of land close to their former village where they can be relocated as soon as possible, he said.

"The process may take some time as we want to shift them to a place where they are not disturbed by any other upcoming hydel project in future," Kumar said.

"Villagers have suggested a piece of land measuring 8-9 bighas near their former village for their relocation," he said. The district magistrate said 80 per cent of the compensation amount and house rent for a year in advance has already been paid to the affected families.

Due to the emergency clause, even the compensation amount for the residents of Lohari is seven times of the prevailing circle rate which is normally four times, he said.

The Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam has also been requested to pay the villagers more compensation and they are ready, the district magistrate said. PTI ALM ALM KVK KVK