People's of Bagheri village have had abundant access to water – for their homes, their animals and their fields

For centuries, the people of Bagheri village have had abundant access to water – for their homes, their animals and their fields. Bagheri is located near the small town of Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh, India.  Being in the foothills of the western parts of the mighty Himalayas, the numerous glacier-fed, snow-melt and spring fed streams criss cross the landscape in these parts, making the valleys fertile.  People here were not rich by today’s industrial and consumption determined standards, but they were well off in having all their necessities available without too much of a hassle.  And most of all, the people here lived as one with their mother nature – the Himalayan foothills had taken care of its people from times people cannot even remember.

On the 20^th of March, 2010, though – the tension on the ground in Bagheri was palpable.  The 40 odd assembled people, all leaders of their villages or communities, were sitting in the shade of the few shops in the small market, with the looming 1.75 million tons per annum (MTPA) cement plant of Jayprakash Industries in the background making the sky somewhat hazy with its air-polluting particulates.  The issue of immediate concern was the proposed (and once almost sanctioned) captive thermal power plant by the same JP industries.

Few of the 40 odd people here came as individuals only, most were either elected Panchayat (local village government) leader, or leading a people’s resistance movements in their own areas. And all of them were unified in one resolve – they will not repeat the mistake of not resisting the cement plant strongly enough, they would not let the captive coal based power plant come up in this once-pristine foot-hills.  They have seen their green fields and forests turn ash coloured with the emissions of the cement plant, the air do not feel so sweet any more, and their wheat fields also looking gray – though they are able to determine the loss of productivity because of this non-stop dark emissions.  Dukhiya ji, the 70 years young and sprightly local leader of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan (Himalaya Policy Campaign), was very clear that they are not to be lulled again by the promises of a few jobs for locals – mostly as un-skilled and daily wage workers, into accepting any of these destructive ‘development’ monstrosities in the fragile sub-Himalayan environment. Panchayat heads, Gram-sabha (village committee) members – described one after another, how they have unitedly fought the captive coal fired power plant of JP Cement, and successfully stalled the original 30 MW plant proposal.  Now the company is proposing a 10 MW thermal plant, assuring the people that no harm would come from this, but the people are not getting fooled again.  Sandip Minhas from Palampur in the same state forcefully highlighted that once we allow these companies any toe hold, they ill enter small, and expand rapidly on that base.

Many such local resistances, people’s movements for humane and sustainable earth-friendly ‘development’ – have come up in the last decade in these northern states of India. Many here in Himachal Pradesh have come together under the banner of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, realizing that to resist the organized attacks of the profit-crazy corporate and their collaborating governments, people also need to come out of their distances and isolations. It was difficult in the beginning, the long distances, difficult terrains, lack of resources even to travel to each other’s area and the pressures of attending to their agricultural fields and horticultural gardens in the planting, tending and harvesting seasons – all were minor obstacles in organizing in a larger scale. But slowly over the last decade, the realization has grown that unless people take their futures in their own hands, the greedy governments and marauding corporate will eat away the very earth that we live on, leaving barren lands for our children to build on – not a possible future for pastoralists, farmers, horticulturists or even any kind of mountain people.

Somewhat north-west of Bagheri / Nalagarh, about 200 Kilometeres away, flows the Pabbar river in Rohru-Hatkoti-Jubbar area of Shimla district of the same state. And the government of Himachal Pradesh – in “response” to the climate crisis, has planned to build five small hydro-electricity plants on this small river. This is part of the governmental plan to turn Himachal into a zero-carbon states within a decade or so !  Pabbar is a smallish river, with a total length of 72-74 KMs, and is also fed by three small ice-fields / glaciers. The plans are for the “green energy” route of run-of-the-river hydel plants, where the river flow will be diverted through tunnels bored in the mountains, to come out in places where a large head is available, to generate sufficient power. Nice plans in theory, no ‘big’ dams will be built (though containment barrages will be required) to displace large nos of people. 

The problems appear to be that Pabbar is the life line of about 40,000 people living in this area. This is one of the best apple belts in all of India, and Pabbar is well known for its few excellent fishing areas.  Horticulture, fishing, agriculture – all support the livelihoods and lives of these 40,000 odd people.   If and when the river disappears under 68 KMs of tunnels planned for the five projects,  out of its 72 odd KMs total length, what will happen to all these livelihood activities, what they will do to earn a living and to live  reasonable lives – are questions not bothering the “authorities” or the promoters who are getting the contracts for these green projects. Long tunnels in the hills have also sucked out the underground water from below villages sitting top – making agriculture difficult, caused large scale cracking-up of houses and polluted entire river stretches by ‘muck-dumping’, sometimes destroying whole eco-systems down-stream of these tunnels.  But of course, these projects will all get the money through the CDM (clean development mechanism – the primary market response to climate crisis under the Kyoto protocol) route, as they are not generating any significant amounts of green house gases while generating additional electric power.  And the northern countries who refuse to reduce their own polluting emissions, can happily purchase these “carbon savings” to their own credit – and get away claiming to have done the ‘green’ thing. 

People in the area have slowly got organized under the leadership of the local journalist, Mr Baltoo.  Save Pabbar movement is slowly gaining ground despite the money and threats flowing from the developers. They have also indicated to young activists who joined Mr. Baltoo’s crusade, that they will forever be barred from any possibility of getting jobs in these upcoming projects. And in an area where  a secure job not only brings regular income but social prestige also (you sit in a clean office on chairs with tables in front, instead of getting yourself dirty in the fields),  for the unemployed youth these threats / lures are not to be belittled, these are hard to overcome realities.  And to overcome these constant threats, the larger presence of the state-wide Himalaya Niti Abhiyan has helped to a large extent.  People are realizing that the devastations these ‘development’ projects have and are causing are ultimately undermining their own capacity to cope with the changing realities of a harsher environment. They have been able to visit other areas where displaced people are now crying over their decisions to sell their lands & homes for pittance in the alter of these large projects, termed the “temples of modern India” by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

 

Sixty-Nine year old Mr Sharma is part of the HNA leadership, and he with his family were part of those ousted for the Bhakra –Nangal river basin projects on the river Beas.  That was back in the 1950s, and Bhakra-nangal was one of India’s first multi-purpose river basin projects along with the Damodar valley project in West Bengal & Bihar, which also saw a large no of people being ousted in the name of national interest.  A small fraction of these displaced people got some little money which they ate away in sustaining their families for a year or two.  Mr Sharma narrated to the agitated but uncertain village leaders, how most of the Bhakra oustees were told to “go settle in the forest land”, and the government will later do “something” about them. Many went to the forest fringe areas, cleared some land with enormous amounts of labour put in and started cultivating these new fields.  Starting a few years earlier, the state forest department have started issuing eviction notices to these families, as they are “encroachers’ on government forest lands !  And they are being threatened that they will not be eligible to get rights over the forest land they live on – under the newly legislated Forests Rights act, as they are new settlers, not traditional forest dwellers. 

 

People of those areas which are now under the acquisition threats, are facing the dilemma of whether to selloff their lands for whatever little negotiated additional money they can now get from the promoters of the projects and the government, as the constant threats of not getting anything if they do not comply with the governments orders   looms large over them.  To break out of this dilemma, people’s groups and networks like the Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, has helped immensely, as the eviction-threatened people of Renuka dam have the opportunity of hearing from Mr Sharma of what actually happens with these large projects, how false promises and dreams are peddled in abundance – without any care about their feasibility or the real intents or designs of the peddlers of such dreams and promises.  The resolve of those few wise ones, who understand the value of an ‘eternal’ sustenance based on the land, water, forest and all that these generate for life to sustain itself, has got strengthened by the joining of forces of earlier isolated voices and experiences.   This coming together has increased  the strength to fight the aggression of the corporate groups trying to grab as much and as many varieties of “natural resources” – for they do  see nature only as resource for making profit out of, and the greedy governments eyeing revenues – both over and under the tables.

Out of these larger social formations, demands and even visions are emerging – of giving people their rightful place in the decision making processes, in choosing what should be the nature of ‘development’ in different ecological areas, matching up with the people’s strengths and the vulnerabilities of both the environment and the people living in those environments.  Communities hitherto considered as not knowledgeable or empowered enough, are learning to analyse, to understand and articulate, and here it would be pertinent to quote from the memorandum / open letter the Chief Ministers of Himalayan States issued (on Oct 30, 2009) by this collective of people’s movements –

“While the Chief Ministers of five Himalayan states meet in Shimla to adopt a common strategy to combat climate change, their developmental policies are contradicting the very reason that has brought them together - that issues within the unique and the critically important Himalayan ecosystems need unique solutions. Whereas the Himalayan Chief Ministers are likely to demand enhanced financial allocation for their states on account of preserving green cover, their policies on the ground are critically contributing to undermining the green cover. We would like to bring the following facts to your notice :

§   Large-scale hydropower has been promoted across the Himalayas in a manner most insensitive to local livelihoods and natural resources. Throughout the Himalayas, thousands of large and small hydroelectricity projects are either planned, operational or under execution. While the reservoir type projects contribute to climate change through deforestation and methane emission, the run of the river projects result in raising ambient temperatures (**and loss of moisture-in-the-air needed by plants**), due to drying up of river beds for long stretches, at times, upto 40 Kms.

§   (**Scaling-up of so-called run of the river projects, with consequent dams and large & long tunnels running under whole villages, forests and pastures, are causing destruction of homes, draining of precious ground water and increased risks of earthquake damages.**) .

§   (**The effects of climate change, in the shape of reduced availability of stream / river flow, is going to deny essential water for irrigation, when mini hydel plants on these same streams/ rivers get the Govt. backing on their ‘rights’ on this water, as ‘investors in development’, leading to more violent conflicts in the coming years.**) 

§   The government is promoting extractive and climate impacting industry like cement, mining and (**industrial scale**) manufacture in big way. In Himachal alone, three cement industries are already operational and one more shall soon start production. Besides these, at least four major cement mining and processing  plants are in various stages of establishment , which according to reports by governement's own departments are going to adversely impact local water supply and rich agriculture. One of these mines and plants at Shikridhar is unbelievably proposed to be situated between two high Himalayan mountain ranges, the Dhauladhars and Pir Panjal. The thousand of tonnes of coal to be burnt in these plants, the thousands of trucks that would ply to transport the raw material and the cement (** -- resulting in large amounts of air-warming aerosols and dark particle deposition on glaciers --**), as well as the associated deforestation would further accelerate glacial melt.

§   The government is also promoting power guzzling industry like steel processing etc. in the industrial belts. This creates additional burden on the state to provide them power during the winter months when the Himalayan states are already short of power. Power cuts have now become frequent in the industrial zones and as a solution of which the industry, through tacit backing of the government, is pushing the case for establishment of many captive thermal power plants.

§   (**Many such air-polluting industries set up within the last decade or so, have already increased the air-pollution (both SPM & RSPM) in many of our towns to dangerous levels – sometimes close to levels found in heavily congested industrial cities of the plains.  This is corroborated by recorded data of CPCB itself, and is resulting in increased health impacts on the local population – particularly children & the aged, with increased warming in this sensitive areas & increased glacial melting.**)

§   The continuation of purely commercial approach to forestry at the cost of people's livelihood concerns has resulted in increased incidences of forest fires and failed plantations, including compensatory afforestation. Forest fires contribute to climate change by release of green house gases and increase in haze.  This year Himachal alone has witnessed    incidents of forest fires which have effected 25,392 hectares of forests this summer, causing a loss of Rs 2.76 crore, (**besides affecting thousands of people severly**).

§   The unscientific manner of construction of roads with its associated muck dumping issues has caused much misery to the intended beneficiaries and many beautiful hills being scarred permanently. The reckless and poor quality of road construction is also contributing to indiscriminate mining of local streams and hills for stone, lowering the water table and ruining water supply schemes.

§   All this industrial development,  especially that for hydro projects and roads, has resulted in massive diversion of precious forest wealth in the Himalayan states. Himachal alone has already diverted 8173 hectares of forest land and has obtained in principle approval for diverting another 1278 hectares with over six lakh standing trees in cases cleared under the Forest Conservation Act.  These are only the official estimate and are besides the area and tree cover that is illegally damaged or destroyed by the projects. The Renuka dam, which proposes to cater to Delhi's unquenchable thirst for water, would destroy more than fourteen lakh trees standing over more than a thousand hectares of dense forest.

§   The monitoring of the industrial projects for environmental and forest related violations are inadequate and ineffective. In Himachal alone there have been cases of hydroelectric projects being fined crores of rupees for forest destruction and still carrying on construction unhindered. Many rich forests and irrigation channels have been rendered worthless due to reckless muck dumping by the hydroelectric industry, which often also compromises the viability of similar projects downstream. Many industries are dumping toxic waste in the land and the water bodies of the industrial zones resulting in the frequent death of river fish.

§   While the Chief Ministers of the Himalayan states might desire additional allocation of finances for preserving green cover, their governments cannot escape the responsibility for promoting the very factors that contribute to the destruction of green cover or aggravation of climate change. The proposals for establishment of industrial projects cannot see the light of the day without the support of the state governments. Sadly, employment generation for the state's population, the primary basis for inviting and subsidising the growth of industry in the industrial hubs, is a fraction of that which is projected.

§   A major portion of the increased allocation being demanded by the Himalayan governments could end up in payment of interest on outstanding loans and employees' salaries instead of contributing towards saving green cover. “

And it is not only the articulation of the damages and the rejection of a critically flawed, greed-based, profit-crazy mode of ‘development’ that these formations are coming out with, they are also laying out their visions of what “development” really means to them, how their land and their earth is integral to all these, and how the people are empowered enough to determine what course all these progress and development should take – with clear accountability for the government on its governance responsibility.  And once again – from my privileged position of working with and helping these movements in forming the collective understanding --  I quote from the open letter, which the CMs were forced to accept with the ‘promise’ of careful consideration ---

“If so much is wrong and at risk within the current development paradigm, then why this mad scramble into a tunnel with no light at the other end? Should we not wait to take a realistic stock of the situation and only then intelligently decide the future course of action?  Should we look for alternatives only after everything has been lost? Should we expect outsiders to give us the alternatives or do we have the capacity to discover them ourselves? Here are a few suggested strategies generated by the people of the three states J&K, HP and Uttarakhand :

Ó  There is an urgent need of studying in detail the cumulative impact of the current industrial development and climate change on the local ecosystems, the peoples' traditional livelihoods, their health and local climatic conditions. The future long term adaptation strategy should be determined through public consultation only after the results of such studies are obtained. Any plan for market or commercial interest lead ventures that are likely to compound the problems in these highly fragile & vulnerable young mountains should be avoided and ecological equity and justice for all sections of society should be ensured.

Ó   Till such studies are completed and the future strategy finalised, there should be a complete moratorium on new industrial projects known to cause adverse impacts.  The employment in the industrial sector can be enhanced during this period by ensuring strict adherence to local employment related clauses in the MoUs.

Ó  Alternative sources of power like 'Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)' and Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) (**Soumya’s comment – EGS is still experimental and has high associated risks, while CST might not be suitable in forested mountain states – better talk about distributed small geothermal & solar systems for both heating & electricity**) need to be explored with both financial & technological push. (**consider dropping this – anyway this much detail is not needed àGeothermal energy in fact is one of the few renewable energy sources that can provide continuous base load power for centuries with minimal visual and other environmental impacts. Latest innovations in CST technology have brought solar power to prices directly competitive with conventional sources of power).

Ó  Local solutions to generate extra energy like biogas and efficient wood stoves should be promoted in a big way. Biogas not only reduces methane emission from bio-waste but also promotes sequestration of carbon by improving land productivity.

Ó  The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) of the Govt. of India, has been formulated without any such public consultation(s), and its eight mission documents are being prepared with the same disregard for the observations, experiences and knowledge of the people & communities, who are at the forefront of climate change impacts & adaptation and in whose name & cause these documents are being prepared. This process of total disregard of public experience & knowledge, and total dependence on so-called ‘expertise’ of the ‘scientists’ and bureaucracy, must immediately be reversed, and wide spread public consultations  started in right earnest.

Ó  All efforts must be made to promote community control and management of natural and new forests through user group level institutions that are based on democracy and social-economic equity. This would not only enhance the available livelihoods base to adapt to climate change but also contribute by creating viable carbon sinks.

Ó  Mainstream livelihoods development by using appropriate technology for job generation should be based upon the local natural resources such as diverse farming, livelihoods based forestry, horticulture, fruit and vegetable processing, rural tourism, handicraft, animal husbandry, aquaculture, mushroom growing, bee keeping etc.  Monocultures (** are not Forests by any means**) and commercial species that do not support local livelihoods, are vulnerable to catching fire and exist extensively in the sub-tropical regions should be converted into mixed livelihood supporting forests through peoples' institutions.

Ó  Rural housing construction technology that uses local renewable raw materials as much as possible and also reduces fire and earthquake hazard should be promoted.

Ó  Equal opportunities for quality education across all areas and all sections of the society (**must be ensured by the State**), leading towards productive stewardship of natural resources inculcating qualitative vocational and people oriented technological expertise for existing livelihoods based resource management. 

Ó  Alternate to current transportation system is needed.  Appropriate eco-friendly technology for road constructions must be followed. Development of rope ways for connecting hill tops and strengthening of public transport system are imperative.

Ó  The mountain people have traditionally lived low energy, low consumption, low waste life styles.  It is very important to learn from these, and emulate this in a larger scale – in view of the necessity of reducing the global emission of GHGs. It is imperative that local communities be involved in decision making of all plans /programs / projects through democratic and transparent institutions, with the right to informed choice.

All the above measures shall not only contribute towards creating harmony between humans and nature but also, in the long run, result in increased local livelihoods creation and mitigation of the ill effects of climate change and natural catastrophes.”

In state after state, against the destructive development projects of huge-scale mining, of large hydel projects, of mega coal power plants on vibrant agricultural belts, of large-spread SEZs (special economic Zones), of array of nuclear plants – people are waking up to evaluate, to understand what is happening to them and their earth, and are actively resisting the aggressions of the “system” and the “authorities”, seen earlier as providers and benefactors. Like in the extremely sensitive Himalayas, when the extremely rich, verdant tropical forests of Niyamgiri (meaning in local language – The mountain who is Lord of laws) in the eastern state of Orissa becomes the exploitation target of one of the largest mining conglomerates – Vedanta Resources,  the frail and ‘sick’ Arjun Majhi of the Kondhs becomes the symbol of resistance to this ruthless exploitation. 

The irony is hard to get lost – one of the richest tropical forests, which is also the source of many perennial streams putting life into the fields of thousands of farming families and providing vital water for all others in the belt, is to be mined to get out the very reason of this perennial water, bauxite (the mineral out of which comes Alumina & then aluminum), which hold the rain water being so porous.  Also ironic is the fact that aluminum is the most energy-intensive, CO2 emission intensive common material that we humans make and use – giving out more than double the emission of CO2 per KG than even steel, another high-emission material.

The struggle against a behemoth mining & metals company like Vedanta is not easy by any definition, and any isolated movement would have been crushed by the combined strength of the company and the government. But the people also learned from their earlier mistakes, and have started building larger coalitions of movements. And  again quoting from the statement of the joint platform of such struggles –

“The entire story of Vedanta’s operations in Niyamgiri and Lanjigarh has been one of violating the law, ecology and people’s lives. In 2004, the company claimed that the refinery would not involve the diversion of forest land. A committee appointed by the Supreme Court later said this was a lie. In September 2005, this committee recommended that environmental clearance for the Lanjigarh refinery be revoked and mining at Niyamgiri be banned, as it would amount to ‘sacrilege’. Also in 2005, the MoEF ordered refinery work to stop but revoked the order five days later, following pressure from the company and the state government. In November 2007, as also in January 2009, the Orissa Pollution Control Board noted that Vedanta’s refinery operations had contaminated the Vamsadhara River and the groundwater of neighbouring villages. These violations – and the widespread resistance – prompted the Norwegian government to withdraw funds from Vedanta. So did the Scottish investment group Martin Currie, in August 2008.

And yet the Supreme Court, in its “wisdom”, has permitted mining on Niyamgiri, revealing, yet again, which class it stands with!! So did the MoEF, in April 2009. And the elites of this country have applauded it all. The CM of Orissa, the cabinet and most MLAs, who, despite the struggles all over the state – in Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar, Kashipur, Kalinganagar and elsewhere – have been at the beck and call of the Mittals, the Jindals, Anil Agarwals, the POSCOs and their ilk.

What does the Niyamgiri Struggle Represent for Us?

Those who struggle against Vedanta in Niyamgiri aren’t alone. Resistance against Vedanta is being waged in MP, in Chhattisgarh, in Goa, in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere. Mining and other anti-displacement struggles are erupting all over the country, as people seek to regain control over their common resources – lands, water, rivers, forests – and through it, their lives, livelihoods, and cultural identities.

These struggles aren’t theirs alone, they touch all our lives. For, they raise crucial questions for us all: how could the voices of those resisting be repressed? Is this what democracy means? Is this development of a nation or destruction of the natives? What kind of ‘development’ do we want? Is ‘development’ meant for the people or for profits to a few?

Friends, people’s resistance is building up precisely because those who face the threat of displacement by these projects realize that they benefit neither from the few and temporary jobs they provide (if at all), nor from the products and services these industries create. They are, and have always been, victims of ‘development’. If our democracy has to become more meaningful and development more just, it has to start from the fact that people have a right over the commons, and that development trajectories have to meet their basic needs first.

It is time for all of us to come together and collectively challenge the notion of ‘development’ that is destroying the very essence of peoples’ lives, livelihoods, cultures, and our ecosystems.”

As can be seen clearly from the articulations and demands and position-statements of these people’s movements, exploited people and communities are realizing that it is not the state, or even the judicial system which will stand by them in providing justice and fair governance – as is their bounden duty – but ultimately, it is the oppressed and disposed people of this world who will have to unite and organize themselves, to reclaim what rightfully belongs to them, and what belongs to the mother of us all, This Planet Earth.  When the Mother is violated by a minority, the majority of her children – in solidarity with all life on earth – must stand up and assert the rights of their mother earth and of all its children.  That is what has started happening, that is the message that many of these movements and their collectives are sending out.

Soumya Duitta, SADED / BJVJ