The residents of Mashna panchayat in the Lug Valley of Kullu district are protesting against a hydropower project. They have served a legal notice to the Centre and the Himachal Pradesh government, warning that if the project is not suspended immediately, they will move the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Villagers stated that the Sarvari-I project – a 4.5 MW small hydroelectric plant built on the Sarvari rivulet, a tributary of the Beas river, by DSL Hydrowatt Ltd – has caused severe damage. They say leakage from the surge shaft and head race tunnel, along with the bursting of the penstock, led to devastating landslides in August and September.
The landslides had damaged about 80 metres of a connecting road to Mashna, damaged houses, water tanks, and hundreds of acres of farmland and orchards, the residents claimed.
In the legal notice sent to the Himachal chief secretary, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, member secretary of the State Pollution Control Board, and the general manager of DSL Hydrowatt Ltd, the panchayat sought immediate suspension of the project, full compensation to those affected, and restoration of public infrastructure.
The notice stated that if the demands are not fulfilled, villagers will approach the High Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). They may also seek criminal action against the company officials.
On September 21, the panchayat held a meeting and passed a resolution authorising the pradhan to approach the High Court against DSL Hydrowatt Ltd.
Head of the Mashna panchayat Baldev said “Our land, orchards, and roads are gone due to the negligence of the hydro project management. Many houses in Doghari village of the panchayat have also developed cracks, and residents are forced to vacate these. But neither the hydro project management took any action nor did they accept responsibility for the damages.”
Baldev added that despite repeated demands for protective measures, the company has done nothing.
"The problem of landslides first appeared some 10 years ago when the project company constructed a very large surge shaft tank and penstock approximately 30-35 metres. After excavation, soil was dumped next to the tank. But after a while, water started seeping from the tunnel and penstock, and the surge shaft tank began overflowing, resulting in cracks in the land in the area," he further added.
Baldev’s deputy, Yashwant Thakur, said villagers had no choice but to seek justice in court. "The water is still seeping from the project tunnel at the landslide site, putting the entire area at risk. But the hydro project management has failed to resolve the problem all these years and is not willing to compensate. But we are not going to let this company get away with what it has done," he added.
After the penstock burst, the Kullu administration set up a committee of officials from various departments last month. The committee inspected the affected area, blamed DSL Hydrowatt Ltd for the landslide, and asked it to repair the damaged link road. However, the company has still not acted.
Environmentalists say the crisis in Mashna is part of a bigger pattern in Himachal Pradesh.
Sudershan Thakur, a renowned green activist and a lawyer, "Large-scale hydroelectric projects are increasingly being seen as the culprit behind environmental devastation. The fallout is not limited to ecological damage alone, as local communities face displacement, loss of agricultural land, and the erosion of traditional livelihoods."
The project’s general manager, Shyam Sundar, said safety measures would be taken soon.
"The landslide was caused by a cloudburst, and we also suffered losses. A team of experts has already inspected the affected area, and based on their recommendations, safety measures will be taken. As far as the compensation to the affected people is concerned, we will do whatever the state govt directs us to,” he added.
The 4.5 MW Sarvari-I project was commissioned in 2008. The 5.4 MW Sarvari-II project started two years later in 2010.
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