Two years on, rehabilitation still eludes villagers in Chamoli | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Two years on, rehabilitation still eludes villagers in Chamoli

By, Raini (chamoli)
Jan 18, 2023 02:09 PM IST

Almost two years after Raini village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district faced the brunt of a glacial lake outburst in February 2021 leaving over 204 people dead, the promise of rehabilitation has remained a pipe dream for residents of the sinking village with officials attributing the delay to “non-availability” of land.

Almost two years after Raini village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district faced the brunt of a glacial lake outburst in February 2021 leaving over 204 people dead, the promise of rehabilitation has remained a pipe dream for residents of the sinking village with officials attributing the delay to “non-availability” of land.

The Tapovan hydel project was affected due to the glacial lake outburst in 2021. (PTI) PREMIUM
The Tapovan hydel project was affected due to the glacial lake outburst in 2021. (PTI)

On February 7, 2021, the slope on which Raini village stands suffered great damage on account of flash floods that damaged two under-construction hydel power projects, Rishi Ganga and NTPC’s Tapovan Dam. The administration declared 204 people dead in the worst tragedy to impact Raini village, famed for Gaura Devi’s act of leading a group of women to prevent the felling of trees, the genesis of the Chipko movement.

The land subsidence in Joshimath, around 20 km from Raini village, residents of the former claim, is connected with the 2021 tragedy. Atul Sati, a local activist and convenor of the Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, claimed, “It’s after the 2021 flood that cracks started appearing in people’s homes in Joshimath”. There’s an NTPC connection too. It’s only after “NTPC started blasting in the tunnel to remove its tunnel boring machine” that the cracks and fissures deepened, he adds.

After the 2021 tragedy, the government commissioned a study by geologists on the safety of Raini village. The team submitted a report in July 2021 to the Chamoli district magistrate, declaring the village “uninhabitable” and recommended immediate rehabilitation of the villagers.

Raini and its residents have not had it easy since. On June 13 and 17, 2021, Raini was hit by flash floods in which 14 houses in the lower part of the village were washed away. A part of the Joshimath-Malari highway, which connects the mainland to the international border and is strategically important, also caved in. In October 2021, the slope, which had already weakened by the flash floods, showed signs of subsidence and residents claimed their homes have developed fresh cracks.

Raini village is divided by the Rishiganga. One side of the village is called Pala Raini and the other side Wala Raini. Gaura Devi was born on Pala side in 1925 and came to live on the Wala side early in her life. The Pala side of the village was more affected by the 2021 glacial burst.

Yashoda Devi (70), who lives on the Pala side, recalled the horrific 2021 tragedy with tears. Devi lost her 32-year-old son Yashpal in the floods. “Yashpal was standing near the river bank, with his sheep grazing in the field. He could not run and the gushing waters swept him away.”

Many other women from the village of Gaura Devi, whose statue was also damaged in the tragedy, recalled the horror of those hours. “The flood happened without any warning and damaged our village. Some of us managed to save ourselves by running to higher points,” said Omki Devi, another villager.

Bhawan Singh, the headman of Raini village said that while the tragedy brought the focus on the village, residents have faced an existential crisis ever since. “When it rains heavily, it brings back the memories of the tragedy. The cracks that developed in our houses gets wider with the rain . The river has been eroding the river bank and moving closer to village with every incident. There have been reports of land subsidence in the entire Niti Valley since the 2021 tragedy.”

A senior official of the Chamoli district administration confirmed the headman’s claim and said the report submitted to the district magistrate by geologists spoke about the village is facing serious slope instability.

The official said the geologists advised the state to rehabilitate the residents of Raini village to a safer location. He added that the report also mentioned t the impact of hydroelectric projects on Raini ’s stability. The work on projects being built on Rishiganga river started in 2005, which led to widespread deforestation. “It disturbed area’s fragile ecology,” he said.

In July 2021, the Uttarakhand high court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by five residents of Raini village, seeking revocation of forest and environmental clearances to Rishiganga and Tapovan-Vishnu Gad Hydropower projects and seeking rehabilitation of Raini Village. The HC imposed a cost of 10,000 on each of the five petitioners.

Alaknanda and its tributaries, which flow through Chamoli, Rudraprayag, and Pauri Garhwal districts, are dammed at many points. Some of the main hydel power projects (HEP) on Alaknanda and its tributaries include Rishiganga HEP, Vishnuprayag HEP (400 MW) near Joshimath, Peepal Koti HEP (444 MW) near Peepal Koti, Srinagar HEP (330 MW) and Tapovan Vishnugad HEP (520 MW).

Raini residents said that in 2019 the high court had asked the authorities to check the claim of subsidence but that nothing happened. Sangram Singh, one of the petitioners in the July 2021 case, said, “The nearby villages are sinking because blasts for construction of an underground tunnel for the project. We have been fighting against these projects but authorities are not willing to act against them,” he said. His reference is to the NTPC Tapovan project, which has been blamed by residents of Joshimath and some experts for the crisis in the holy town.

The other petitioners were Gaura Devi’s grandson Sohan Singh, Raini village pradhan (head) Bhawan Singh, Atul Sati, convenor of Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, and Kamal Raturi , all are residents of Raini and Joshimath villages. “It is sad our fight in the court ended in a fine,” said Sohan Singh.

NTPC has refuted claims of locals and said no blasts were conducted for building the underground tunnel and described subsidence as “natural” process in the Himalaya.

At Raini, despite their fear, many residents continue to live in the homes having cracks.

Kalawati Devi (72), who hugged trees during the Chipko movement, is pained at the government’s apathy towards the village.

“Our village will be washed away if a similar disaster like February 2021 hits the village again. It is an irony that the village that made the world conscious about environmental protection, is facing the government’s negligence.”

Dooka Devi, who is in her late 80s said the villagers were helpless. “We are waiting for rehabilitation for two years. Some families left in search of jobs, some left in fear after the tragedy.”

The Chamoli district administration said there has been a delay in the rehabilitation of the village due to the limited availability of land.

NK Joshi, district disaster management officer, said, “There are around 50 families living in Raini. We had earlier identified two nearby areas – Subhai and Dhaak villages -- for the rehabilitation of the villagers. However, the rehabilitation plan couldn’t materialise due to limited availability of land.”

Raini village headman Bhawan Singh said Subhai’s residents resisted the rehabilitation as they feared that it would put additional pressure on their limited natural resources.

Prof YP Sundriyal, Head of Department, Geology, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, said Raini’s residents “should be rehabilitated as early as possible since it (the village) falls in the fragile region and has been reported land subsidence. The river flows just below the village and it stands on the loose material. It’s risky.”

But what’s happened is inevitable, suggested Chandra Singh, Gaura Devi’s son.

“If they assault nature, it will take revenge.”

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