Dehradun: Rights activist Avdhash Kaushal on Friday sought a ban on the entry of BJP leaders Uma Bharati, Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank and environmentalist GD Aggarwal in any hydel project area in Uttarakhand and demanded their arrest under the NSA if they did so. Criticising these leaders for opposing the uplifting of the Dhari Devi temple which will pave the way for 330 mw Srinagar hydropower project, Kaushal, a Padmashree award recipient, said they have no right create obstacles as the Supreme Court has already given clearance to the much awaited uplifting of the ancient shrine.
These leaders had recently visited Srinagar to oppose the uplifting of the temple when locals showed them black flags and asked them to leave. "Uma Bharati, GD Aggarwal, Nishank and their followers should not be allowed in any hydro power project area and if they do so, they should be arrested under National Security Act," Kaushal, who runs a leading NGO in the city named RLEK, said.
Dams are the backbones of any civilisation as they play a crucial role in water conservation for irrigation, municipal supplies and industries, generating power, flood control, recreation navigation, river rafting etc, fish production and road bridges, Kaushal said. Kaushal also asked the state government to immediately restart the stalled hydro project of Lohari Nagpala (600 MW), whose resumption had also been recommended by President Pranab Mukherjee, when he was the chairperson of the Group of Ministers (GoM) looking into the matter.
"In view of substantial work on the project has already been done and significant expenditure incurred, it was decided that this project may be allowed to continue," Mukherjee had said as head of the GoM. Kaushal said the state government should also start Pala Maneri (480 MW) and Bhairo Ghati (381 MW) projects without further delay otherwise Uttarkashi may again face damages and calamities in the coming monsoons because of unfinished work in the three dams full of huge boulders and heaps of mud.
The activist also strongly opposed the Centre's gazette notification declaring the stretch between Gomukh to Uttarkashi as eco-sensitive, terming it as an attempt to stop the hydro-power projects in the area and hamper the pace of progress of the state.
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