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In April 2010,panchayats of five villages in Chamba district had rejected the proposal of GMR to shift the location of its mega hydel project at Bajoli Holi. GMR had proposed to shift the location of this 180 MW project from the right bank of Ravi river to the left bank,but the panchayats in a rare display of solidarity had rejected the proposal.
Six months later,GMR is again pushing its move. This time,it has secured no-objection certificates from panchayats,though a majority of the local population is still opposed to shifting the location of the project. The villagers fear the move would cause serious environmental damage.
Chamba Deputy Commissioner Devesh Kumar said: The next date of public hearing for Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) under Environment (Protection) Act has been fixed for October 30,2010. The company had approached me afresh last month,informing that now they are armed with NOCs of the panchayats. So,I recommended to the member secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board to fix the public hearing to know peoples views on the companys proposal.
The last public hearing a mandatory process under the Environment (Protection Act ) was held at Holi on April 19,2010. The panchayats had then opposed the shifting of the site, the DC recalled.
The new development of panchayats giving NOC has raised several questions and the state government is quiet on the development. No one is opposed to the project at the allotted site where the damage to local resources,environment and agricultural land will be minimum. Yet,the company has taken an unprecedented step to change the location of the project which is unusual, alleges Mangni Ram,a local block development representative and member of the ruling BJP.
Talking to The Indian Express from Delhi,Harvinder Manocha,GMR vice-president,said: The panchayats which had earlier rejected the proposal have discussed the issue in their gram sabha meeting. We had gone door to door in every panchayat to explain (technical) reasons for shifting of the site. We informed that in case the location was not shifted,we will be forced to abandon the project.
The government says in case the site has to be changed,the company has to start the process all over again. We have not agreed to the companys move. They were chosen on the basis of their bid,according to which the project was to come up at the right side of the river. They cant just the change the proposal like that. In case a change has to be made,they have to go back to the people,prepare the project report afresh,get public hearing done, said Principal Secretary (Power) Deepak Sanan.
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