People of Marwah Tehsil in Kishtwar District of Jammu and Kashmir want the dam to be setup at a different place that will not sweep off the area of its population, vegetation and beauty.

Baseera Rafiqi | Caravan Daily

IT was October last year when locals from a distinct far off land shouted slogans to save their motherland but no one heard them, their voices resonated in the mountains and echoed back changing nothing on ground.

It’s the tale of villages, people, development and their struggle to stay put and save their Valley.

“Save Marwah!!!” —  “Budsar–Pakal dam ko cancel karo!!!”

People shouted at the highest pitch of their voices because it was for them the only chance to speak for their lives, livelihood and their heritage, so they put all the possible efforts in letting others know what the area is going through and what the State is planning for their future.

Marwah falls in the Southern District of Kishtwar and is inaccessible for nearly six months and the terrain makes this area more vulnerable to landslides and hence no concrete road has been built to connect the villages with the district nearby.

A handful of villages located on the foothills of the mountain, near Chenab have been living in harmony for decades now sharing nature’s bounties be it wild flora and fauna, fresh waters, conducive climate and little fields to work on.

The famous river Chenab is the only source of water to these people and a necessity for their survival. The area is estimated to produce electricity sufficient for whole of the State and in lieu of that a Dam was proposed by the then Power Development authority some decades back.

“Our area has a huge potential in hydro-electricity and there have been number of surveys that estimate the production of electricity in crores thus generating immense revenue for the State and the Center as well. So it was in 60’s, if my memory doesn’t fail me, that Budsar–Pakal dam with a capacity of 800 MV and a height of 265 meters above the sea level was proposed by the State, but that never kicked off as militancy hit and just like the rest of the projects that one too didn’t see the day’s light,” recalls retired school master G M Malik.

In a recent development a team from the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation limited (NHPC) came to inspect the villages, checked the water level, its feasibility and had a clearance from the forest department so apparently the project is going to start soon.

Locals were happy that the project was going to help address their electricity woes, allocate jobs to the unemployed youth and add the place on a tourist map of the State, but their joy was short-lived as they came to know that the project was supposedly going to relocate all the villages nearby, fields and forests.

“This area has a population of 50,000 and people here will never ever be ready to leave their land. We will not hesitate to knock at Supreme Court’s door for this issue, or enlighten the State and the Center government to warn them against any construction by either the government or NHPC at any stage. I am optimistic that the present government and the opposition will never let this place to be lifted along with its entire people,” Hafiz Parvaiz Ahmad,25, Imam Jamia Marwah.

Incidentally these villages have no electricity, no mobile networks, and this project was going to provide electricity to the whole area but they don’t want development at the cost of relocation, destruction and disturbance of their beautiful land.

Marwah is a mix of Hindu and Muslim population and both the communities want the dam to be setup in a different sight that will not sweep off the area of its population, vegetation and beauty.

“We don’t need the project or the money. Nine villages are to be re-located if the dam is built at its proposed sight. I believe that a wrong report about the location and feasibility has been carried forward to the authorities and they think that the locals have agreed to it, but we never have. I see this project is to rob the place of its beauty, peace and tranquility,” said Lakhmi Chandh, 70, a resident of Deherna village that will go completely under the dam if processed according to paper work.

A common voice resonating from all the quarters of the land there was rejection of the said dam.

“The reservoir that has been proposed is going to ruin Marwah and that is why we are rejecting the plan, and are not willing to compromise on any level; be it decreasing the dam’s height or rehabilitating the entire population. Our one answer to this dam is a big No, once for all. We are protesting here today, but we have registered our resentment in Srinagar and Jammu as well in front of the authorities earlier,” Nazir Ahmad lone, local.

People have been trying to take up the matter with the concerned authorities and the youth of the place have taken it upon them to help their community at such complicated time. It takes a whole day to reach to the local district headquarter, two days to Jammu or Srinagar, but they are adamant to travel as far as it takes to present their plea.

“I have not left a single door unturned in connection with the dam, have talked to ministers, MLA’s, power authorities and they are not willing to even listen to us. For them the dam, electricity is important and not the whole population that is going to starve just because of their one project,” said Rouf Ahmad, a local young political activist.

Officials on the other hand claim this dam to be a revolutionary step towards the upliftment of the area. Reportedly minor changes have been brought in the original plan, but it still is going to affect a lot of the villages adjacent to the river.

“In 1973, the testing, proposing and site allocating of this dam had started long before, now they have just finalized it. According to the earlier plan the whole Marwah was going to get relocated but now they have lowered the height of the dam, which still is going to affect a lot of the population directly or indirectly,” Bashir Ahmad ,Tehsildar.

NHPC conducted a survey few months back, held local darbar and talked to people and wrote a report saying that the project should go on with minor changes.

“NHPC people talked to villagers that are not going to get affected by the damn, so they took it for granted and wrote that the whole population of the area agrees to the dam and so they are planning to go ahead with it. We the people of Marwah will fight till our last breath for our motherland,” Ghulam Ahmad Magrey,35, a farmer.

A list of villages completely affected by the dam: Hatri, Hanzal, Harji, Gumbri, Sarepath, Butpora, Lonepora, Manzgam, Hargam, Machira, Budsar

Partially affected by the dam: Tillar, Nakawinaw, Hayuam, Chanjer, Nowpachi, Qadrawa, Yourdoo, Rar, Astangam