Tell govt-appointed panel to prepare policy in favour of small ones Tribals in the snowbound Lahaul-Spiti district Wednesday rejected the construction of big hydro power projects, pleading that the projects would lead to an eco-disaster in the eco-fragile valley. They expressed their views in Udaipur and Keylong before the state panel appointed by the state government for public consultation on 18 power projects proposed in the Chenab basin in the district. The residents, including members of local NGOs, rejected big power projects and favoured small projects on the Chandra, the Bhagha and the Miyar, tributaries of the Chenab. “The government is imposing power projects on the Buddhist minority community in the region and not respecting its views,” said Ringzin Haryapa, secretary of the Janjatiya Kalyan Samiti, Lahaul-Spiti and the Jispa Bandh Jankalyan Sangharsh Samiti. “The panel did not table any agenda in the meeting. We oppose big projects as those will ruin the eco-sensitive valley in the Himalayas. We want to keep the valley free of destruction caused by power projects in Kinnaur,” he said. “The Buddhist population is shrinking in the tribal belt and the valley is small in area. After the Rohtang tunnel opens opportunities for tourism, big power projects will destroy tourism. We want the valley to be protected,” he said over telephone from Keylong. Representatives and the public boycotted the meeting in Keylong and raised slogans against the district administration and the government, which facilitated the meeting, conducted by the Directorate of Energy. The meeting was attended by representatives of independent power producers which had been allotted projects. The public consultation meeting went on smoothly in Udaipur and tribals gave a mixed reaction. “We oppose the 400-MW Sheli power project as it will destroy thousands of trees and submerge “mini-Manali,” a green groove near Udaipur,” said Hari Thakur, Udaipur block president, Janjatiya Kalyan Samiti. The residents demanded that the government was hell-bent on constructing 18 power projects in one go, that would destroy the ecology of the region. “We do not oppose development, but the government should come out with a policy for power projects,” Haryapa said. Udaipur panchayat pradhan Shamsher Singh, enjoying the support of BJP leaders in the tribal belt, supported the project and urged the panel to take care of the environment. Meanwhile, the state government cancelled acquisition of private land for the Sheli project. It would be started afresh under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Farmers in Udaipur, Madgram, Salpat and Ratoli under the Udaipur and Tindi panchayats had approached the state government and the President against forceful land acquisition under the old law, terming it unconstitutional and illegal. The Sheli Power Project Sangharsh Samiti cited that the project would destroy over 12,800 trees and 44,386 saplings on over 276 hectares of forest land. Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Hans Raj Chauhan, who presided over the meeting, said the panel recorded public objections and suggestions and would submit its report to the state government. The final draft for the Chenab basin would be prepared after the panel consulted the public in the Pangi valley as well, he added.