'Let us lead respectable lives; can't lose lands again': Villagers after Sharavathi project proposal

"KPCL has not given us title deeds to this land. If we are displaced again, where will we go? What about our children and their future? We don’t want KPCL to execute this project", a villager said.

Residents of villages who will be impacted by the proposed power project in the Sharavathi Valley made their stance on the project quite clear at the public hearing held at Kargal in Shivamogga district on Tuesday. Villagers and environmentalists who participated in the hearing expressed strong views about the harm that the proposed project would cause to the Western Ghats. 

Ganapatiyappa, a resident of Henne village in Sagar taluk who participated in the meeting, said, “We were displaced by the implementation of hydroelectric projects in the Sharavathi Valley once before. To rebuild our lives again would be an uphill task.” As many as 160 families in Henne and Maratha Keri villages in Shivamogga district are likely to be displaced if the power project is implemented. 

After the meeting, Ganapatitayappa spoke to DH about the ordeal of those who had to give up their homes and land for the Linganamakki Dam in the 1960s.

Expressing his frustration with the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), he added, “We have been growing areca, paddy, and other crops on forest land. But KPCL has not given us title deeds to this land. If we are displaced again, where will we go? What about our children and their future? We don’t want KPCL to execute this project.”

Kannappa, another Henne resident, appealed to the government not to displace them again. “We should be allowed to lead respectable lives,” said Kannappa.

Rajanna, who was one of the many who was evacuated for the Sharavathi project, recalled that his family had lost 600 acres. “But we were not given even 60 acres in compensation. How can we trust KPCL,” asked Rajanna.

Praveen, an advocate, hinted at the power project being a part of a larger conspiracy to supply water from the River Sharavathi to Bengaluru. “I have learnt that the government has released Rs 8,000 crore for this project, and Energy Minister K J George is keen on going ahead with it,” said Praveen.

Kargal resident Suraj expressed concerns about the safety of residents in the vicinity of the proposed project site. “The PowerPoint presentation made by the KPCL executive engineer Vijay Kumar mentioned use of explosive materials for blasting. But what about the safety of those in and around the area, or even those outside the five-metre radius. There was no mention of the chemicals that would be used in the project,” he said.

Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s senior environment officer Ramesh Nayak, and environment officer Shilpa participated in the meeting.

Resident cites DH report

Adarsha Jain, a resident of Sagar taluk, cited a DH report to underscore the damage that the proposed project will have on the environment. “The newspaper report states that 16,000 trees will be cut for the project. If you really want to implement this project, plant 16,000 saplings elsewhere, nurture them till they grow as tall as the ones you want to cut,” he said.

Pointing out that KPCL had not responded to residents’ pleas for a road in the region for the past three decades, Jain added, “Now, they are eager to construct a road for this project.”