Kumaun Himalayas

Stay on suspension of Loharinag project!
Stay of the Central Government decision to suspend Lohari Nag , Pala (600MW) power project by Nainital High Court- a blow to the Environment and People of Uttarakhand Posted on 13 Mar, 2009 01:29 AM

It is with great disappointment that Raksha Sutra and Uttarakhand Nadi Bachao Andolan received the news from the report in Amar Ujala, Dehradun 27.02.09 that the Uttarakhand High Court has granted a stay to the Central Government Order suspending the work on the Loharinag , Pala (600 MW) hydroelectric project. The work on the project has begun with hardly a break in its stride. The Public Interest Petition filed by Rural Litigation and Entitlement Centre, a Dehradun based NGO filed for a stay stating that neither would the natural flow of the river be affected nor is the project causing any environmental damage is a total falsehood. The petitioners have deliberately misled the High Court. They have not visited the site for themselves and have filed for a stay from the sanitised environment of Dehradun. We who live and work in Uttarkashi know the truth. This is not the first instance that this NGO has taken legal action to restart projects that have been stopped because of their dubious benefits. It is quite clear that unlike its name this NGO is working not for rural entitlement but rather for the entitlement of vested interests. This is very saddening. The environmental impact of the project is enormous. Entire mountainsides have been scarred and shorn of their green cover. Thousands of tonnes of excavated rock from the tunnel construction have been dumped on the riverside and threaten to block the flow of the river with the onset of monsoon. The dust being churned day and night by the hundreds of dumpers and trucks operating on the project is choking all life on both sides of the river. Fields that were the mainstay of the primarily agricultural community are lying barren because no growth has taken place for the last 3 years despite the best efforts of the farmers. Pastures which sustained the livestock of the village people have been devastated. Representations by the people to the government and NTPC have yielded no satisfactory results. We have photographic and video evidence of this.

Invitation for joining URAN PSI group
Several threats have emerged in recent years to the pristine Himalayan rivers of Uttarakhand. Posted on 18 May, 2008 10:48 PM

Several threats have emerged in recent years to the pristine Himalayan rivers of Uttarakhand. These include: (i) the proposed construction of 220 dams (ii) the drying up of rain fed rivers due to deforestation and deforestation of their catchments (iii) release of untreated sewage from river side towns and habitations and (iv) illegal sand mining of river beds.

"Himalaya: Man and Nature": Newsletter, Nov 2007 in English and Hindi
"Himalaya: Man and Nature": Newsletter, Nov 2007 in English and Hindi Posted on 05 Mar, 2008 10:59 PM

The Nov 2007 edition of "Himalaya: Man and Nature", a newsletter about ecological issues of the mountain areas of Uttarakhand and neighbouring areas is available here : http://www.himalayanwater.org/media/download_gallery/Himalaya%20Man%20&%20Nature,%20Nov-07.pdf The newsletter c

"Himalayan Water Portal" launched by Himalaya Seva Sangh
The website aims to share the information, analysis and research regarding water and sanitation related issues of the Himalayan region Posted on 29 Sep, 2007 12:01 AM

Himalaya Seva Sangh, an NGO, has just launched a "Himalayan Water Portal" - www.himalayanwater.org. Quoting from their site:

Himalaya Seva Sangh newsletter (English/Hindi)
Himalaya Seva Sangh newsletter (English/Hindi) Posted on 13 Sep, 2007 10:48 PM

Newsletter of the Himalaya Seva Sangh, which is produced in both Hindi and English. Himalaya Seva Sangh is an NGO working in Uttarakhand.

The contents include :

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