Trees lost to project, HP village pines for a lifeline

SHIMLA: Rispa residents, leading lives in complete harmony with nature in tribal Kinnaur, are indignant at an upcoming hydel project in the vicinity. With the development works shrinking their sprawling wealth of trees, shrubs and other vegetation that anchor soil and buffer runoff, the locals have been up in arms against the 100MW project since its launch in June.

With the hillsides denuded of the forests, including their rare and famed chilgoza (edible pine locally called noeza) trees, most villagers see the village turning into a mountain of debris. Voicing their collective concern, Rispa panchayat pradhan Narender Negi told TOI over phone on Monday, “Neither is the government intervening (to save the environment) nor are the contractors paying heed to our objections.”

Considering the fact that their dependence on forests is endemic, their apprehensions are hardly misplaced. “We’ve already lost over 2,000 trees to the work being carried out by the company, which had permission to raze 1,261 only,” he claimed.