Renuka dam oustees await rehabilitation

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, December 31

The families displaced due to the Rs 6,946 crore Renukaji Dam project are awaiting their rehabilitation.

As per the relief and rehabilitation policy of the project, the displaced families will be given houses to be constructed on the land acquired at four villages, namely Tokyo, Sainwala, Amboa and Chakli. They have expressed resentment against the delay in the issuance of the notification regarding the ‘project-affected families (PAFs)’ as well as the selection of land bought for their rehabilitation.

The Renuka Dam Sangharsh Samiti has been raising the issues at various levels. Samiti chairman Yogendra Kapila says, “The land identified at Chakli and Amboa is on a slope while there are disputes regarding the land selected at Sainwala and unauthorised encroachments at Amboa village. The allotment of such land will aggravate our hardships”.

The samiti is pressing for land in urban areas where they can earn some rental income. The delay in notifying the main PAF is another cause for concern as the families are yet to know how much land or compensation they will get. They have been raising the issue since 2007.

Project officials say that 947.40 hectares have been acquired at four places for the construction of housing colonies. “A compensation of Rs 406 crore has already been paid as initial amount to the displaced while the notification of the PAFs is awaited,” says a senior manager of the project.

He adds that though the land is on the slope at few places, given the topographical limitations of the area, the land selected is likely to be acquired.

Sirmaur Deputy Commissioner RK Gautam says that the field staff of the Revenue Department is finalising the PAFs list by taking into account various factors and once completed it will be notified. Each PAF will be provided a house or a plot. The compensation will also be paid on the basis of the share in the shamlat landholding and the tax paid on it by a family, he adds.

“Infrastructure facilities in the rehabilitation colonies such as water supply, sewerage, drainage, electricity, streets, community centre, green area, parks and approach paths/ roads will be provided under the project,” says Gautam. 

About the project

• The project includes 148-m-high rock filled dam to be built on the Giri in Sirmaur, having water storage of 498 million cubic m
• It will generate 40 MW power for the state and will be executed by HGP Power Corporation Limited
• An MoU was signed on Jan 11, 2019, by the CMs of six states — Himachal, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan and UP