Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Nov 21: The people of Bani demanded the shifting of reservoir site in newly sanctioned 9.5 MW Sewa-1 a small Hydel Power Project.
In a meeting held at Bani under the leadership of former Minister, Prem Sagar Aziz in which deliberations were held on the site plan framed by the Government to set up the Small Power project to be constructed by Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA). The reservoir of the project would be raised at village Assoo just two kilometer from Bani and power house will be constructed at Sarthali.
The Ex sarpanches , Panches and prominent citizens in large number drawn from Bani and Duggan attend the emergency meeting to discuss over the power project .
Prem Sagar Aziz said that the Government need to again think over the reservoir site as it will make Bani township and surroundings dry and the thick population of Bani will face the acute shortage of water.
He said the reservoir site is not suitable at any cost and it will pose a threat to tourism development at Bani town which is hub of tourism attraction and where also various historical and religious function going to be held annually. He said Bani town is business hub and mark of attraction for tourists as numbers of villagers and tourists visit there daily. But due to construction of reservoir beyond Bani town , the Sewa river flowing in the middle of Bani town faces dry spell and Manjiri park and other attractive site besides the Sewa river will give an ugly look due to lack of water in the river. He appealed the Government to review the survey report and change the site plan so that Bani town may not be badly affected due to power project.
Aziz also urged the Government to ignore the 9 MW Sewa-III Power project at Hut Maska lying defunct since last two years and power generation is stopped with reason known to Power Development Corporation (PDC).
He said that 120 MW Power Project handled by NHPC is just two Kilometre away from 9 MW project Hut Maska . The NHPC Power Project is running successfully and NHPC is earning handsome profit annually. But the State Government is not interested to run 9 MW power project with ill intention and facing loss of lakhs of rupees every year.
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