Doti locals threaten to shut down West Seti
By Our Correspondent
Dipayal, Jan. 10
The locals of Doti have warned of barring the West Seti hydropower project from developing further unless clear documents regarding environment assessment and fair compensation to the displaced were submitted in the local level. They have charged that the project infrastructure was developing without any interaction and extensive discussion with the people. They have asked the concerned project partners to come up with clear views in regard to the resettlement of the displaced peoples. "We are ready to sacrifice our adobes if the project contributes to the overall economic development of Nepal," Bhagwati Chand, a local said.
She claimed that the people of the region were comfortable in their living at the present and if the project needed to develop, the government and the project partners must think of their proper resettlement. Located in the Far Western development region, the West Seti hydropower project is one of the most controversial undertakings in the hydropower sector.
The project was proposed by West Seti Hydro Limited (WSHL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Australia-based Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC) and funded by a consortium of Indian and Chinese banks, the Asian Development Bank and the government of Nepal. US$1.6 billion was proposed during the project initiation that would produce 750 MW of power. As per the locals’ demand for the authorized persons from the government and the undertaking companies to hold frequent interactions on the project, government delegation led by project director Himalaya Bahadur Pande and the acting secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources Anupraj Upadhyay have organized interactions with the locals in regard to the project environment assessment.
Pande on the occasion informed that the project would not develop further without having consent of the locals. He clarified that the rumors that the company was neglecting people’s feelings were false. He said the company had no rights to proceed the project without the local people’s full consent. The project, which was initiated 14 years ago for the survey and feasibility by the SMEC, remained in controversy because the locals were confused by the project details and the government too didn’t show interest in its development. Chakra Malla, another local, said that the people were expressing their rage to the government and the concerned companies because they failed to organize frequent discussions and interactions in the previous years with the locals regarding the project. The locals blamed that the project was mooted because the government as well as the project authorized representatives did not made clear project details understandable to the local people.
They have raised different issues including the project data, notice and reports should be in Nepali language, the project should show alternative place for the displaced, they should be ensured fair evaluation of their property in regard to the compensation and the locals should be guaranteed of employment. Dr. Saroj Adhikari, environment expert linked with the project said that the company would provide employment to the displaced and run income generating activities for the local people.
The political leaders have claimed that the locals were still unclear about the project because the district representatives were supplying their own interpretations about the decisions made in the upper level. They have urged the government to mobilize the local administration, forest, agriculture, land revenue and survey representatives in the village level.
Source: The Rising Nepal, 11 January 2009
Dipayal, Jan. 10
The locals of Doti have warned of barring the West Seti hydropower project from developing further unless clear documents regarding environment assessment and fair compensation to the displaced were submitted in the local level. They have charged that the project infrastructure was developing without any interaction and extensive discussion with the people. They have asked the concerned project partners to come up with clear views in regard to the resettlement of the displaced peoples. "We are ready to sacrifice our adobes if the project contributes to the overall economic development of Nepal," Bhagwati Chand, a local said.
She claimed that the people of the region were comfortable in their living at the present and if the project needed to develop, the government and the project partners must think of their proper resettlement. Located in the Far Western development region, the West Seti hydropower project is one of the most controversial undertakings in the hydropower sector.
The project was proposed by West Seti Hydro Limited (WSHL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Australia-based Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC) and funded by a consortium of Indian and Chinese banks, the Asian Development Bank and the government of Nepal. US$1.6 billion was proposed during the project initiation that would produce 750 MW of power. As per the locals’ demand for the authorized persons from the government and the undertaking companies to hold frequent interactions on the project, government delegation led by project director Himalaya Bahadur Pande and the acting secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources Anupraj Upadhyay have organized interactions with the locals in regard to the project environment assessment.
Pande on the occasion informed that the project would not develop further without having consent of the locals. He clarified that the rumors that the company was neglecting people’s feelings were false. He said the company had no rights to proceed the project without the local people’s full consent. The project, which was initiated 14 years ago for the survey and feasibility by the SMEC, remained in controversy because the locals were confused by the project details and the government too didn’t show interest in its development. Chakra Malla, another local, said that the people were expressing their rage to the government and the concerned companies because they failed to organize frequent discussions and interactions in the previous years with the locals regarding the project. The locals blamed that the project was mooted because the government as well as the project authorized representatives did not made clear project details understandable to the local people.
They have raised different issues including the project data, notice and reports should be in Nepali language, the project should show alternative place for the displaced, they should be ensured fair evaluation of their property in regard to the compensation and the locals should be guaranteed of employment. Dr. Saroj Adhikari, environment expert linked with the project said that the company would provide employment to the displaced and run income generating activities for the local people.
The political leaders have claimed that the locals were still unclear about the project because the district representatives were supplying their own interpretations about the decisions made in the upper level. They have urged the government to mobilize the local administration, forest, agriculture, land revenue and survey representatives in the village level.
Source: The Rising Nepal, 11 January 2009
