Villagers Oppose Construction of Bursar Dam in Jammu's Kishtwar

Reported by

Mir Farhat

Published on

August 26, 2018

August 26, 2018

Updated on

August 26, 2018

Location of Conflict

Marwah

Kishtwar

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Hydroelectric Project

(

National Park

)

People Affected by Conflict

5050

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

1779

ha

Starting Year

2017

State

Jammu and Kashmir

Sector

Power

Summary
Fact Sheet
Legal Data
Additional
Information
Resources
Images
Videos

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.

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

Type of Common Land

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

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?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Environmental Laws, Central/State Government Policy, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006
Paragraph 7 [Stages of prior environmental clearance including public consultation]
State Land Acquisition Act, 1990 (1934 AD)
Section 5A [Hearing of objections by the Collector after notification]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 4 [Requires the government to ensure that the local bodies such as Panchayat and municipal council have adequate representation in SIA], Section 5 [Requires the Government to hold a public hearing for social impact assessment], Section 6 [Requires for the publication of SIA Study], Section 7 [Requires every Social Impact Assessment Report to be appraised by a multi-disciplinary expert group];
National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007
Paragraph 4 [Social Impact Assessment to be conducted where more than 200 families in hilly areas are affected]

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Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community? What was the decision of the concerned government department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Supreme Court of India

Case Number

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Hunger strike

Protests/marches

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

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

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Updated By

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Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

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