Veteran environmentalist on hunger strike for river

IN DEEP WATER: Veteran environmentalist reopens debate on value of big dams.

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Dehradun: G D Agarwal, a 76-year-old environmentalist, on Friday began a fast-unto-death protest against the construction of hydel projects on River Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand.

The 76-year-old Gandhian and around 30 of his supporters began their fast at Manikarnika Ghat in Uttarkashi town. Agarwal is on hunger strike to support people, who claim they would be uprooted because of the construction of dams like Pala Maneri (480 MW), Maneri Bhali phase-II (304 MW), Lohari Nagpala (600 MW), Koteshwar (400MW), Bhairon ghati (381 MW) and Jad Ganga (200 MW).

Swami Swroopanand, the Shankaracharya of Dwarika Peeth, backed Agarwal’s protest saying he was against the caging of Bhagirathi with dams.

Top environmentalists and social activists, including Sunder Lal Bahuguna, M C Mehta, Rajendra Singh also staged a sit-in with Agarwal.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri in an official statement said the government would not do any harm to the river at the cost of producing power.

A press release by Agarwal’s supporters said the dams would make the river dry. Agarwal is a leading expert on environmental engineering, founder member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board and a member of several government committees on environmental.