Tehri dam affected villagers seek speedy relocation after house partially collapses

Monday, 21 February 2022 | PNS | New Tehri

Residents of the Luneta Bhattakanda village in Tehri dam affected Jakhnidhar block are demanding to be relocated soon from the site after a portion of a home in the village collapsed on Friday night. The villagers state that their lives are in danger if they continue to live in their homes. The officials state that the person whose house partially collapsed recently has been given land elsewhere under the rehabilitation package.

According to the locals the house of Rajendra Prasad in the village in the block adjoining the Tehri dam reservoir was damaged on Friday night. He and his family were sleeping in another room at that time. The villagers said that they have been demanding relocation for the past several years but nothing has been done so far.  Former MLA Kishore Upadhyaya, who reached the village after the mishap said that the problems arising out of the construction of Tehri dam and the lack of respect for the agreements signed with the displaced and the affected are a matter of great concern. He said that the residents of the entire village are living in fear following the partial collapse of Prasad’s house. He said that he had been raising the issue of the villagers since the dam reservoir was filled to capacity. Upadhyaya, who is also the BJP candidate from Tehri said that if the BJP government is formed in Uttarakhand it will work to fulfill the promises made to the dam affected people on priority basis.

Regarding Prasad’s house partially collapsing, executive engineer, Rehabilitation, DS Negi said that the family concerned has been provided with 70 per cent compensation while the remaining 30 per cent will be paid on presentation of the damage certificate.