Himachal files FIR against BBMB over Pong dam flooding
Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source: Internet
Shimla, Aug 22,
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday accused the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) of negligence in managing Pong Dam, after sudden water releases submerged villages across Indora, Fatehpur, and Shahpur. An FIR has now been lodged against the central agency, marking a rare escalation in the state’s decades-long tussle with BBMB projects.
Replying to a call attention motion in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Assembly, Sukhu said Himachal continues to suffer every monsoon while the benefits of the state’s dams largely flow to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. “Despite repeated devastation, including the 2023 floods, BBMB has neither compensated victims nor created safeguards. Our people are paying the price of projects built on their land, without enjoying their benefits,” the CM remarked.
Sukhu reminded the House that three major projects—Bhakra, Pong, and the Beas-Sutlej Link—remain under BBMB’s control since inception. Thousands were displaced when these dams were built, yet the state continues to endure fresh losses every year. “In 2022, the Supreme Court upheld Himachal’s claim of Rs 4,300 crore in BBMB projects, recognizing our ownership rights. But till date, the Union Government has extended no help in securing our share,” Sukhu added, expressing hope that a scheduled apex court hearing in September would deliver long-awaited relief.
Assuring immediate measures, the CM announced a rehabilitation package for affected areas and directed MLAs to submit constituency-level damage reports. So far, official figures confirm 23 families (107 persons) shifted to safety, 121 hectares of paddy destroyed, livestock lost, and relief camps set up with the help of Radha Soami Satsang and volunteers.
Earlier, Indora MLA Malender Rajan (Congress) triggered the debate under Rule 62, demanding that the affected belt be declared a “calamity zone.” He said 12–13 panchayats were hit, nearly 100 people rescued, 42 schools shut, and critical infrastructure washed away. “In 2023, BBMB released 1.42 lakh cusecs without warning, destroying more than 10,000 hectares. Yet it has not installed a proper Early Warning System,” he charged.
Supporting the motion, Congress MLA Bhawani Pathania sought a special relief package for Pong Dam-hit belts every rainy season. He also flagged unchecked riverbed mining as another factor eroding fertile lands. “Ironically, genuine landowners are booked for illegal mining, while the real culprits go scot-free,” he said.
With the latest FIR and a Supreme Court battle ahead, the matter is set to test federal equations and disaster accountability yet again.
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