Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh would have to fight for its rights and ensure that the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) pay for the losses suffered by farmers in Kangra’s low-lying areas due to sudden water release.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh would have to fight for its rights and ensure that the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) pay for the losses suffered by farmers in Kangra’s low-lying areas due to sudden water release.
He was replying to a question raised in the Vidhan Sabha by Indora MLA Malender Rajan, who highlighted the damage faced by people in Fatehpur and Indora because of the Pong Dam. Sukhu said, “Thousands of people in Himachal have been displaced due to projects like the Pong and Bhakra dams but the state and its people have not got their legitimate right.”
Sukhu said, “When it comes to protecting Himachal’s rights and giving the state its due, even the Central Government becomes a mute spectator. I assure the House that in the coming days, we will take up the issue with the BBMB and ensure that they provide compensation to farmers for the losses suffered by them.”
MLA Malender Rajan said people in these low-lying areas live in constant fear as BBMB releases water whenever reservoir levels rise. “The BBMB has three dams — Pong, Bhakra and Beas Satluj Link — in Himachal but even now there is no proper mechanism for dam and safety management.”
He reminded the House that during the 2023 monsoon, the Indian Air Force had to rescue 2,500 people after massive flooding, and this year too, an FIR was filed against BBMB under the Dam Safety Act for careless water release.
Rajan also said that the relief and rehabilitation provided by BBMB were inadequate and unsatisfactory. “The Energy Department has directed the BBMB to release water in a staggered manner and strengthen the early warning system to alert people and minimise losses,” he added.
Fatehpur MLA Bhawani Pathania added that farmers had lost paddy crops and Gujjar families had seen their homes and cowsheds washed away. He stressed the need for a strong mechanism so that people in Mand and nearby areas did not suffer every year due to BBMB’s negligence.
Follow us
