Himachal: Repairs of Kangra hydropower project stalled as impasse between administration and locals drags on

More than five months after the penstock leak of the hydropower project near Multhan village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, repair and maintenance work is yet to be carried out as the impasse continues between the management of the project and the villagers on the issue of compensation.

While the project management claims it is willing to pay the compensation calculated by the revenue department, the villagers are demanding more.

The project management has raised concerns alleging that the villagers are not allowing the project authorities to use their village road to access the project site to repair the penstock leak site and make the project functional.

On May 10, the 25 MW Lambadug Hydroelectric Project suffered a leak in its penstock, causing damage to property and farmland in Multhan village in Chhota Bhangal (Barot) region of Kangra district. Water gushing from the project entered homes, shops and agricultural fields as panicked residents scrambled to find safer places.

The Lambadug Hydropower Project is being implemented by Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), which is a holding company of KU Hydro Power Private Limited.

Harpal Singh, joint chief operating officer of KU Hydro Private Limited, said the stalemate still continues between the residents of Multhan village and KU Hydro. “We had appealed to the high court on September 13, following which, on September 17, the court directed the deputy commissioner to resolve the matter within three weeks,” he added.

“The problem is still not resolved and restoration work is paralyzed. After the incident, the revenue department calculated the total loss to the tune of $2.24 crore and KU Hydro is ready to deposit the money in government accounts to make further payments to the villagers. Multhan residents ask $25 lakh compensation to each family, while the details of the families are not available,” Singh said.

KU hydro had last month approached the Himachal Pradesh high court, where they argued that residents of Multhan village are not allowing the project authorities to use a road in their village to access the project site for the purpose of repair the site of the penstock leak and make the project functional. The villagers demand more compensation.

The high court had directed Deputy Commissioner Kangra to take appropriate steps to resolve the deadlock between the project authorities and Multhan villagers and allow them to use the road passing through the village to access the project site for the purpose of repair the site of the penstock leak.

The court had also directed the Kangra DC to hold meetings with all stakeholders in the matter and also safeguard the interests of the villagers.

Multhan panchayat pradhan Suresh Kumar (Bhanto) said that the farmlands of local villagers have been destroyed to such an extent that they will remain uncultivable for the next 10-15 years. “The villagers are asking for compensation for their crop losses. While the market traders have received ten times compensation, the project authorities are not willing to provide the compensation demanded by the villagers,” he said.

“They are not interacting with the Panchayat or the villagers. The villagers obstructed access to the project after being marginalized by the project management. It is essential that they deal with the Panchayat and the community to address the damage caused. Until a satisfactory agreement is reached, we will not allow them to use our road,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kangra DC Hemraj Bairwa said, “We are trying to make the villagers understand that this situation also affects the state exchequer as the project remains non-functional. We sympathize with the villagers and believe they should receive genuine compensation. The company offers them compensation that exceeds their losses. “We are trying to persuade them and, if necessary, we will take appropriate measures in due course.”