Travelure
By Hugh & Colleen Gantzer
This column is addressed to all our Netas. It is not addressed to any political party, or High Command. It is certainly not addressed to any huffing, puffing, Big Engine. It is addressed to the Elected Representatives of the people of Uttarakhand. Since you are also a reader of Garhwal Post, we are going to copy two excerpts from this newspaper so that you have a ready reference available to you about the most pressing problems of our state. The issues covered by the Garhwal Post have also been mentioned in national dailies. But since we do not know what national dailies you read, we will restrict our references to this newspaper.
On 28th August 2024 on page 12 the Garhwal Post said: “Renowned environmentalist Dr Ravi Chopra, social activist Anoop Nautiyal, and senior High Court advocate BP Nautiyal addressed the press in Dehradun, today, emphasising that before granting permission for NTPC’s resumption of work in Joshimath, the voices of the affected people must be heard, and independent scientists consulted. They believe that any kind of blasting or construction in Joshimath could have long-term repercussions, potentially devastating the Himalayan region.”
Dr Ravi Chopra stated that any hasty decision in this matter could lead to the destruction of the Himalayas, and the aftermath of such development under the guise of progress could be irreparable.
He explained that rocks and hills collapsed from a height of 4,000 metres, forming a new area. Over time, this area stabilised but remained fragile. Later, several large projects were initiated in this area. In one such project, machines struck a reservoir, causing water to gush out at 700 litres per second, leading to subsidence and the formation of several cracks in the hill. The machine is now trapped due to this subsidence, and the company is attempting to use explosives to remove it, which could be extremely dangerous for the area.
PC Tiwari added, “In a report, it was recommended that no power project should be initiated in this area, but this advice was ignored and several large projects were started. These projects should never have been undertaken because the area is highly sensitive, with heavy rocks falling during landslides. When the landslide occurred, it damaged and destroyed the Rishi-Ganga project. To recover from this loss, the company began building a new plant, involving surveys conducted by experts from Europe and other countries. However, the report was flawed, leading to problems in the project. When the machine struck the natural reservoir, water began flowing out at high speed, creating voids where the water once was, causing the hills above to react and form large cracks. To address this issue, the company filed a petition to use explosives to remove the machine, and the Court ordered NDMC to prepare a report on whether this was appropriate. However, given that the company is a major government entity, it is likely that permission will be granted, which could not only exacerbate existing problems but also create new ones, forcing the local residents to leave the area. This has caused significant chaos and stress, leading to the deaths of several individuals.”
But do you, our Netas, really care for the lives and welfare of your Uttarakhandi voters? Clearly, most of you do not. In the issue of 7th September, the Garhwal Post wrote:
“It may be recalled that landslides are continuing to recur in the Varunavat Mountain area in Uttarkashi. This year landslides have occurred more frequently. Varunavat Hill had hit the headlines in 2003 when a massive landslide had occurred and around 70,000 cubic metres had flown out onto the roads. The then ND Tiwari Government had ordered treatment of the landslide prone area of the mountain. All construction activity was banned in the zone.
However, this restriction was never implemented and all kinds of constructions have continued till now. The buffer zone is home to many hotels and houses and shops and a large number of multi-storey buildings have been constructed after 2003. The district and state administration failed to effectively monitor and prevent illegal construction. A plan is being devised to relocate 30 to 40 families by marking the buffer zone of Varunavat mountain. The buffer zone will be strictly monitored, and no construction will be allowed.
As you are aware, Netaji, an arrogant party suffered because it ignored the feelings of its voters. Will that be your fate, too?
(Hugh & Colleen Gantzer hold the National Lifetime Achievement Award for Tourism among other National and International awards. Their credits include over 52 halfhour documentaries on national TV under their joint names, 26 published books in 6 genres, and over 1,500 first-person articles, about every Indian state, UT and 34 other countries. Hugh was a Commander in the Indian Navy and the Judge Advocate, Southern Naval Command. Colleen is the only travel writer who was a member of the Travel Agents Association of India.) (The opinions and thoughts expressed here reflect only the authors’ views!).
