Jammu and Kashmir
,
Marwah
,
Kishtwar
Published :
Aug 2018
|
Updated :
Villagers Oppose Construction of Bursar Dam in Jammu's Kishtwar
Reported by
Mir Farhat
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
5050
People affected
2017
Year started
1779
Land area affected
Households affected
5050
People Affected
2017
Year started
1779
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Power
Reason/Cause of conflict
Hydroelectric Project
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
Sector
Power
Reason/Cause of conflict
Hydroelectric Project
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

NHPC Limited, formerly known as National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, is planning Bursar Hydroelectric Project, an 800 MW power project on Marusudar river the main tributary of River Chenab in Kishtwar district. Upon completion, the project will submerge seven villages, which have a population of 6,332, comprising 1,052 families. The coalition government of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party had earmarked Rs 211.41 crore for Resettlement and Rehabilitation of the affected people. The storage project is the first of its kind under the Indus Waters Treaty,1960. The stored water is intended to be used for additional power generation during lean flow months. The project was announced in 2016 as a national project and resistance against it started in October 2017, after the NHPC officials and the District Development Commissioner of Kishtwar visited the affected villages. In April 2018, residents of the projectaffected villages organized themselves under the banner of PakalBursar Dam Committee. Thousands marched towards Marwah raising slogans against the construction of the dam and the power project. They did not want to give up their land, on which they grow maize, rice, pulses and walnuts. A hunger strike was also held by the Marwah Bachao Tehreek. They objected to the readjustment of forest park boundaries by the Department of Forest, Environment & Ecology, J&K, in 2015 for the project. In March 2020, a hunger strike was initiated again, to mark resistance against the project. However, due to the onset of the COVID19 pandemic, the strike had to be cancelled along with all other protests. The movement, according to a video published in 2021, carries on.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Opposition against environmental degradation

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Forest and Non-Forest, Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

25773

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Revenue Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmit, Ministry of Environment and Forests

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

NHPC Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Pakal-Bursar Dam Committee

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Mir Farhat
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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Opposition against environmental degradation

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

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