"In a first, Himachal villagers get a say in hydel power projects", 8 May 2016
It’s a big victory for some 1,200 people of Lippa village in Kinnaur district. After a seven-year struggle, the villagers have become the first grass-root people in the hill state to get empowered under Gram Sabha (village body of locals) to decide whether a hydel power project would be set up in their area or not...[T]he rights of the villagers under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) were recognized following a judgment of National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 4 May...The NGT in its order said that the government should ensure that prior to forest clearance for hydro-electric projects...the proposal is placed before the Gram Sabha of the villages in Kinnaur district....“Allowing hydel projects...will result into serious ecological and environmental consequences and the lives of people living in these tribal areas is on high risk..." remarked geologist R Sreedhar of Environics Trust...Prakash Bhandari of Himdhara Collective, an environment group said...“The NGT judgment shall have a far-reaching effect on other areas of the state. The gram sabhas will get to play its role of decision making...." [Refers to Posco]
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