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Locals Oppose Luhri Stage II Hydro Project in Himachal, Reject SIA Report

Reported by

Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

June 19, 2020

May 17, 2022

Edited on

June 19, 2020

State

Himachal Pradesh

Sector

Power

People Affected by Conflict

1598

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

174

ha

Starting Year

2018

Location of Conflict

Nanj Village

Firnu, and Kot villages in Mandi district; Bargal, Chamod, Mahawali, and Talah villages in Shimla district; and Dinghidhar village in Kullu district

Mandi

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Hydroelectric Project

Land Conflict Summary

In 2010, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited had proposed to construct a 755Megawatt Luhri HydroElectric Project (HEP) on the Sutlej River, with a 38 kilometrelong twin tunnel. The project would have affected Shimla, Mandi and Kullu districts. The residents collectively raised objections against the potential impacts of the project on the riverine system, ecology of the region, and people's livelihoods. Subsequently, the projects capacity was reduced to 612 MW in 2013. However, in 2014, the World Bank withdrew its funding for the project, following a report by a team from United States Agency for International Development, who had carried out a site inspection in November 2013. In 2015, the Himachal Pradesh government revised the Luhri HEP to propose a multistage project instead. Under it, the state government commissioned three dams in the same stretch, Luhri Stage I (210 MW), Luhri Stage II (172 MW) and Sunni (382 MW). In 2017, the projects were reallocated to SJVN Ltd. on a Stand Alone Basis and an MoU signed in 2019. The Luhri HEP Stage II project, located near Nanj village in Mandi district, requires 174.35 ha of land totally and expected to generate 632 MU of electricity. According to the final Social Impact Assessment report, it is estimated that 333 families will be affected in eight villages across Shimla, Kullu, and Mandi, and 119.79 hectares of land will be submerged. In December 2019, during the public hearing, families in Nanj rejected the draft SIA report released earlier that year. They stated that they were not given sufficient information about the project before the hearing. The villagers also added that the SIA report is halfbaked and understated their dependence on agriculture in the area. They demanded a fresh public hearing. The survey work undertaken in October 2019 for the SIA report caused landslides, they stated.  Meanwhile, the communities are still waiting to get titles under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 for around 150 hectares of forest land to be used for the project. The SDM accepted the shortcomings in the SIA report and assured the affected families that the state government would not accept the report until their concerns were addressed. He also stated that there will be no forceful acquisition of land.  The villagers in Karsog also submitted a list of demands to the subdivisional magistrate. The final SIA report published in January 2020, mentions estimates for the compensation for the land to be acquired and trees felled. However, it still doesn't account for many of the concerns voiced by the villagers and the local administration. In November 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the budget for the project. Locals however are still protesting against the project.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

1882.9

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

12 april 2020

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 4: Preparation of the Social Impact Assessment, which must contain impact on families being displaced; Section 5: Conducting a public consultation regarding the Social Impact Assessment
Himachal Pradesh Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Compensation, Rehabilitation and Resettlement and Development Plan) Rules, 2016
Section 3: A request for acquisition of land can only be made after the Social Impact Assessment is complete; Section 7: The resettlement and rehabilitation scheme needs to take into account the Social Impact Assessment
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 3(a): Right to live on and hold forest land; Section 4(1): Vesting of forest rights with traditional forest dwellers
Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006
Schedule I, Item 1(c): All three dams would be category A projects requiring mandatory environmental clearance
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act

Non-implementation/violation of FRA

Violation of environmental laws

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Lack of legal protection over land rights

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Sub-divisional Magistrate, Karsog

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL)

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Abnaki Infrastructure Applications and Integrated Development Private Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

In 2010, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited had proposed to construct a 755Megawatt Luhri HydroElectric Project (HEP) on the Sutlej River, with a 38 kilometrelong twin tunnel. The project would have affected Shimla, Mandi and Kullu districts. The residents collectively raised objections against the potential impacts of the project on the riverine system, ecology of the region, and people's livelihoods. Subsequently, the projects capacity was reduced to 612 MW in 2013. However, in 2014, the World Bank withdrew its funding for the project, following a report by a team from United States Agency for International Development, who had carried out a site inspection in November 2013. In 2015, the Himachal Pradesh government revised the Luhri HEP to propose a multistage project instead. Under it, the state government commissioned three dams in the same stretch, Luhri Stage I (210 MW), Luhri Stage II (172 MW) and Sunni (382 MW). In 2017, the projects were reallocated to SJVN Ltd. on a Stand Alone Basis and an MoU signed in 2019. The Luhri HEP Stage II project, located near Nanj village in Mandi district, requires 174.35 ha of land totally and expected to generate 632 MU of electricity. According to the final Social Impact Assessment report, it is estimated that 333 families will be affected in eight villages across Shimla, Kullu, and Mandi, and 119.79 hectares of land will be submerged. In December 2019, during the public hearing, families in Nanj rejected the draft SIA report released earlier that year. They stated that they were not given sufficient information about the project before the hearing. The villagers also added that the SIA report is halfbaked and understated their dependence on agriculture in the area. They demanded a fresh public hearing. The survey work undertaken in October 2019 for the SIA report caused landslides, they stated.  Meanwhile, the communities are still waiting to get titles under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 for around 150 hectares of forest land to be used for the project. The SDM accepted the shortcomings in the SIA report and assured the affected families that the state government would not accept the report until their concerns were addressed. He also stated that there will be no forceful acquisition of land.  The villagers in Karsog also submitted a list of demands to the subdivisional magistrate. The final SIA report published in January 2020, mentions estimates for the compensation for the land to be acquired and trees felled. However, it still doesn't account for many of the concerns voiced by the villagers and the local administration. In November 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the budget for the project. Locals however are still protesting against the project.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Forest

Total investment involved (in Crores):

1882.9

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

12 april 2020

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 4: Preparation of the Social Impact Assessment, which must contain impact on families being displaced; Section 5: Conducting a public consultation regarding the Social Impact Assessment
Himachal Pradesh Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Compensation, Rehabilitation and Resettlement and Development Plan) Rules, 2016
Section 3: A request for acquisition of land can only be made after the Social Impact Assessment is complete; Section 7: The resettlement and rehabilitation scheme needs to take into account the Social Impact Assessment
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 3(a): Right to live on and hold forest land; Section 4(1): Vesting of forest rights with traditional forest dwellers
Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006
Schedule I, Item 1(c): All three dams would be category A projects requiring mandatory environmental clearance
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act

Non-implementation/violation of FRA

Violation of environmental laws

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Lack of legal protection over land rights

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Sub-divisional Magistrate, Karsog

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL)

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Abnaki Infrastructure Applications and Integrated Development Private Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

Other Land Conflicts in Himachal Pradesh

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