Shimla, Oct 5,
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi took a strong stance against the management of the Shaugthag-Karcham Hydroelectric Project for its careless dumping of debris and waste into the Satluj River.
During a Block Level Grievance Redressal Committee meeting in Kalpa Block, Negi voiced his frustration over the persistent neglect of environmental regulations, calling it a significant threat to the local communities. He accused the project’s management of a serious breach of responsibility.
Negi condemned the pollution control authorities and project officials for ignoring the harmful dumping practices, which have caused natural water sources to dry up and disrupted clean drinking water supplies for residents.
The Minister demanded immediate action against those responsible for violating environmental regulations and called for heavy penalties to be imposed on the offenders.
He emphasized that these illegal activities were endangering local livelihoods and damaging the fragile ecosystem of the region.
In response to the environmental damage, Negi directed the administration to enforce strict adherence to environmental laws and to protect local gardens and water sources. He also urged officials to speed up pending infrastructure and development projects in the area, particularly those supporting apple growers, who depend on timely transportation of their produce.
Noteworthy that on a broader scale, industries, power projects, hospitality units, and civic bodies across the country have been recklessly polluting major rivers, making the water unsafe for human and animal consumption. Despite this, both central and state governments, as well as local governing bodies, have largely failed to take decisive action against such blatant violations.
Recently, the Himachal Pradesh High Court also directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state government to take strict action against those responsible for dumping debris into Govind Sagar. It is a legal requirement in India to identify and designate proper dumping sites before any road construction begins.
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