Himachal's powerful plans may bear no fruit

Kinnaur: Travelling along the Hindustan-Tibet Road that snakes its way up the mighty Himalayan ranges right up to the Tibetan border one sees an unexpected sight.

Floodlit valleys, heavy construction equipment, dynamiting and blasting Hydropower companies are at work to tame the mighty Sutlej and Baspa rivers that flow through Himachal. Kinnaur is well on its way to becoming India's power generator.

Ironically,. its hurting the economy of Kinnuar where apple cultivation is the oldest business. For a region that is dependent solely on the fruit to keep its economy going, locals hold the mega dams responsible.

“There is a change in the apple season as the climate is changing due to hydro power projects. There is pollution, warming and less rain when needed,” says apple orchard owner, Sanjeev Kumar.

Across Himachal over 100 multiple projects are underway .Locals fear that these mega dams are destroying Kinnaurs fragile ecology

Says environmental activist from Kinnaur and BSP candidate Sushil Sana, “The biggest issue is against the big projects coming up in Kinnaur. These projects are going to take on a dangerous form. Kinnaur is known for apples , but these apples are endangered due to the big projects. “

However, the Himachal government considers power projects an absolute necessity for the financial well being of the resource starved mountain state.

“We try and compensate them heavily for damage to land and houses so that they are not heavily opposed to the projects,” says DC Kinnaur, Sudha Devi.

While people may not be displaced physically - the dams have caused large-scale soil erosion. Himachal sees the future of its economy being powered substantially by hydroelectric projects dotting Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti districts. But locals here wonder if the region will pay too heavy a price for the nations progress.

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