Hamirpur: Scrap lift water scheme, says Mahapanchayat

Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, March 10

People from 15 gram panchayats of the area, who are protesting against the Ali Khud water lifting scheme, organised a ‘Mahapanchayat’ at Triveni Ghat in Bilaspur district today. They were protesting against the construction of water supply scheme in the rivulet as they feared that this would either leave little or no water for the villages downstream.

The state government had proposed to construct a lift water supply scheme for some villages located upstream of Ali Khud in the Arki Assembly constituency of Solan district.

Ali Khud Bachao Sangharsh Samiti president Rajneesh Sharma said the scheme was being constructed at a place which was more than 20 km from the beneficiary villages.

He said the people were protesting for over 47 days, while neither the government and nor political leaders of the ruling party intervened to stop the work. He said 15 gram panchayats downstream had joined the protest against the scheme, which would affect a population of over 1 lakh.

Speaking on the occasion, Guman Singh, coordinator of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, said water from small rivers and rivulets of the states should not be given to corporate houses as it would add to problems of villagers. He said Ali Khud was just a beginning and more such issues would crop up soon in other areas of the state.

Former MLA KK Kaushal said the government must address public grievances on priority.

He said the agitation would continue till Ali Khud conflict was not resolved. He said the government should consider constructing WSS from Sutlej river for the identified villages.

Namhol Gram Panchayat president Jeevan Lata Thakur, Ghyaal vice president Desh Raj Thakur, former BDC president Rattan Lal Thakur, Sanjeev, president of Gram Panchayat Nog; Lata Chandel president of Gram Panchayat Chakoh also addressed gathering on the occasion.

#Bilaspur #Hamirpur