Affected People to World Bank Regarding Allain Duhangan Hydro Project

Date: 
Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Proposed IFC funding of the Allain Duhangan Project in India

Dear Sir or Madam:

We have learnt that International Finance Corporation is soon to put up the proposed IFC funding of the proposed 192 MW Allain Duhangan (Hydropower) Project in Kulu district in Himachal Pradesh in India before the IFC board. However, there are many issues and problems connected with this project that remain unresolved. We have been writing about this to the World Bank Group for numerous times. Some of the major such issues are:

1. Before taking up any project, as per law of the land, the project needs to take No Objection Certificate from the assemblies of the villages coming in the affected areas. Allain Duhangan Project is yet to obtain such a NOC from Jagatsukh village assembly. In fact the Jagatsukh village assembly on July 4, 2004 passed a unanimous resolution (see attachedment) rejecting the proposal to give NOC to the Allain Duhangan Project.

2. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the project is fundamentally inadequate, as we wrote in detail to the World Bank President in our letter dated May 21 2004. This is clearly a violation of the IFC norms.

3. The communities in the project area have serious objections to the project. One of the major problem is the diversion of the Duhangan river for the project without assessing and ensuring the amount of minimum flows that are required for the downstream communities needs (of today and projected for say 10-20 years from now) for drinking water, irrigation water and also for the environmental needs of the river. Moreover, the livelihoods of the people in the affected area will be seriously affected due to the impact on apple cultivation, impact on agriculture, impact on tourism and such other impacts. These are yet to be assessed and mitigation plans thereof are yet to be formulated.

4. In this respect people of Jagatsukh village have sent a complaint to the IFC CAO office on September 29, 2004 along with all the relevant documents and correspondence till date.

In view of the above we urge you to ensure that till all the above issues are not resolved the funding to the project should not be sanctioned. If the project were sanctioned without resolving above issues than that would be in violation of the IFC norms.

Sincerely,

Sundar Mahant
Sonam Tashi
Jog Raj Rana (Ex Village Chief)
Veena Mahant
Panna Lal
Bamdev
Kishan Lal
Shiv Chand, S/o Velu Ram
Noumu Devi, W/o Shiv Chand
Polu Ram, S/o Shiv Chand
Chaman Lal, S/o Shiv Chand
Velu Ram, S/o Duli Ram
Shakuntala Devi, W/o Sher Singh
Pushpa Devi, W/o Mahender Pal
Hansh Raj, S/o Sher Singh
Sher Singh, S/o Jalgu Prasad
Mahender Pal, S/o sher Singh
Narendra Soni, S/o Badur Paran
Maina Devi, W/o Bahadur Paran
Mohan Lal Soni, S/o Badur Paran
Manorama, W/o Mohan Lal Soni
Disha, S/o Badur Paran
Keshav Sharma, S/o Prem Chand
Kavita, W/o Keshab Ram
Lakshmi, D/o Prem Chand
Gurdiyal, S/o Kundan Lal Soni
Tulshi Devi, W/o Gurdiyal Soni
Meera Devi, D/o Gurdiyal Soni
Radha, D/o Gurdiyal Soni
Sheetu Soni, D/o Gurdiyal Soni
Anita Soni, D/o Gurdiyal Soni
Nitendra Soni, S/o Gurdiyal Soni
Chitravati, W/o Nitendra Soni
Yogendra Soni, S/o Gurdiyal Soni
Thakri Devi, W/o Yogindra
Devkoo Devi, W/o Raju
Permila Devi, D/o Raju
Beena Devi, D/o Raju
Raju Nala, D/o Rewat Ram
Ruldi Devi, D/o Tek Ram
Gulabi Devi, W/o Mohan Lal
Ramesh Thakur, S/o Mohan Lal
Nirmala, W/o Ramesh Thakur
Yashwant, S/o Mohan Lal
Amit Thakur, S/o Ramesh Thakur
Yamuna Devi, S/o Ramesh Thakur
Sabe Ram, S/o Vesri Devi
Sebti Devi, W/o Sabe Ram
Jagan Kumar, S/o Sabe Ram
Goverdhan, S/o Sabe Ram
Tikam Ram, S/o Sabe Ram
Sheetu, D/o Nanak Chand
Bannu Negi, D/o Raj Krishan
Radha, W/o Sepat Ram
Tirthu Devi, W/o Thola Ram
Shushma, W/o Jeewan
Ram Dei, W/o Dolu Ram
Neelam, W/o Amarnath
Manju, D/o Dola Ram
Gurdei, W/o Ganesh Sharma
Kakati, W/o Late Sukhram
Meera Devu, W/o Joginder
Nisha Devi, D/o Tej Ram
Suman Devi, W/o Daulat Ram
Purna Devi, W/o Kehar Singh
Krishna, W/o Nand Lal
Moolchand, S/oChane Ram
Chand Kishore, S/o Yub Raj
Ved Prakash, S/o Madan Lal
Yog Raj, S/o Ghamthu Ram
Tikmi Devi, W/o Puran Chand
Vikrant, S/o Yegya Prakash
Raj Kumar, S/o Dharam Chand
Tharwan Lal Negi, S/o Amir Chand Negi
Jhali Devi, W/o Tharwan Lal Negi
Dhandhu Ram, S/o Uttam Ram
Bhagwati Devi, W/o Dhandhu Ram
Mohni Devi, D/o Dhandhu Ram
Lata Devi, D/o Dhandhu Ram
Neesha Devi, D/o Dhandhu Ram
Hari Ram Sharma, S/o Nesu Ram
Vimla Devi, W/o Hariram Sharma
Manju Devi, D/o Hariram Sharma
Sushil Sharma, S/o Hariram Sharma
Sonu negi, S/o Keshaw Ram Negi
Ganesh Sharma, S/o Late Deena Nath
Raksha Devi, D/o Ganesh Sharma
Duglu Ram, S/o Khes Ram
Naina Devi, W/o Duglu Ram
Beena Devi, W/o Chunni Lal
Gangi Devi
Chuni Lal, C/o Gangi Devi
Rajesh, S/o Duglu Ram
Durga Devi, W/o Jog Raj
Jog Raj, S/o Hari Ram
Nirmala, D/o Jograj
Vidyawati, D/o Jograj
Tirtha Ram, S/o Jograj
Meena Devi
Shshi Sharma, W/o Ishwar Dutt
Ganga Shyam, S/o Nokhu Ram
Dugli Devi, W/o Ganga Shyam
Durga Devi, W/o Tek Chand Sharma
Keshri Devi, W/o Ramkrishna
Tirthu Devi, W/o Jaichand
Gaytri Devi, W/o Tek Ram
Devi Ram, S/o Pyare Ram
Neemi Devi, W/o Kevoo Ram
Vimla, D/o Sabe Ram
Pinki dev, D/o Puran Chand
Droupdi Devi, W/o Kusam Chand
Yogmaya, W/o Budh Ram Sharma
Meena Sharma, W/o Ram Swaroop
Hotam Ram Sharma, S/o Chaini Ram Sharma
Shanti Sharma, W/o Hotam Ram Sharma
Promila, D/o Hotam Ram Sharma
Pushpa Raj, S/o Hotam Ram Sharma
Sharmila, D/o Hotam Ram Sharma
Dugli Devi, W/o Dayaram
Indrajeet, S/o Dayaram
Yodhya Devi, W/o Roopchand
Dhanwani, W/o Devi Ram
Nirmala Devi, W/o Sanjeeva
Sanjeeva, S/o Devi Ram
Neeti Sharma, W/o Chandu Sharma

Office and Court
Village Panchayat Jagatsukh, Block: Naggar, Dist Kulu (HP)

Chaired by: Mrs. Meera Sharma, Chairperson
Proposal No: 4
Present: 255/ 527
Date: 04.07.04

Respected Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh, Simla

Shri Ram Krishna Sharma of Village Jagatsukh put forward the proposal that there should be a resolution against the Allain Duhangan Project, which was permitted by the Chairperson (Head) and was put forward for discussion on following grounds. The Duhangan River, also famous as Dhoumya Ganga (after a great saint by that name) and our religious feelings are also connected with the river. The project is related to many environment related natural resource disasters. The project should also be opposed on security grounds and the Panchayat should not given any sort of No Objection Certificate to the project.

The above proposal is unanimously passed without any objection.

Copy to: Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh for necessary action
2. Local Member of Legislative Assembly Shri Ram Krishna Gaud, Simla for necessary action
3. District Collector, Kulu for information
4. Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Simla for necessary action
5. Prime Minister of India
6. Mrs Sonia Gandhi, President of All India Congress Committee

[Sign of Panchayat President, Stamp of the Panchayat and date]