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Farmers' convention in Shimla highlights widespread damage from four-lane projects in Himachal; call for long-term movement and rehabilitation

Shimla (Himachal Pradeh) [India], July 7(ANI): A convention of farmer and landowner affected by four-lane highway expanion project acro Himachal Pradeh wa held in Shimla on Monday, jointly organized by the Himachal Pradeh Kian Sabha, other farmer group, property owner, and activit aociated with CITU. The gathering aimed to formulate a long-term trategy to raie voice againt what participant called the detructive and uncientific widening of national highway, which ha reulted in land lo, diplacement, and a threat to live and livelihood in everal ditrict. The meeting aw participation from reident of nine panchayat located between Kaithlighat and Dhalli on the Shimla National Highway, among other. Farmer from affected zone acro the tate alo joined the dicoure, voicing concern over inadequate compenation, damage to their home, and environmental degradation reulting from unregulated hill-cutting and debri dumping by private contractor and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Speaking to ANI, Kuldeep Singh Tanwar, Preident of Himachal Pradeh Kian, aid, Depite being near the tate capital Shimla, the quality and monitoring of developmental work here are extremely poor. Today convention included affected reident from nine panchayat between Kaithlighat and Dhalli. The goal wa to plan long-term agitation trategie and take the iue to both the tate government and NHAI. The iue i not limited to Shimla it tretche from Parwanoo to Dhalli, and extend to all zone where highway, railway, hydroelectric and tranmiion project are underway. Thee project are impacting Himachal delicate hill ecology and affecting mall and marginal farmer, he added. Tanwar pointed out that due to uncientific road cutting, heavy rainfall, and vibration from machinery, everal building have either collaped or developed evere crack. He cited the example of a multi-torey building in Bhattakufer (Shimla) that recently collaped. Ranjana Verma five-torey houe in Bhattakufer wa completely detroyed. We demand her immediate rehabilitation and compenation. Many other building have alo become unafe. In ome cae, reident are unable to retrieve their belonging. Structural and non-tructural crack need to be aeed by a third-party expert body, Tanwar aid. He added,If only a tate-level engineer committee i formed, it might not be acceptable to NHAI or the Government of India. Without proper tructural evaluation, people will uffer endlely. Thi mut be treated with urgency and fairne. Speaker at the event raied quetion about the compenation formula that ha been applied o far. Under the 2013 Act, they argued, affected farmer are entitled to four time the market value (Factor-2 compenation), not jut double (Factor-1), which ha been the prevailing practice. Tanwar noted, The Himachal High Court on May 22 truck down a 2015 notification that had capped compenation rate. Therefore, all acquiition pot-April 1, 2015 mut now be recalculated under Factor-2. He urged both the tate and central government to take wift action and implement the compenation promie made in the election manifeto of both the BJP and the Congre. We are determined to puh forward the voice of the common people, epecially mall farmer, whoe land and home are being eraed in the name of development, Tanwar aid. Rain not the caue, highway cutting wa: ay Victim Ranjana Verma, who lot her houe and collaped lat week due to heavy rain, reportedly becaue of uncientific cutting on the Highway. My houe collaped, but not primarily due to rainfall. For over 18 month, the highway widening work wa happening jut above my home. The contant hill-cutting and vibration from machinery everely detabilized the building. Iron bar ued for lope protection caued tremor that ran through the tructure. Rain wa only a minor factor. It had only jut begun. The real caue i unchecked contruction, he told ANI. Verma, who ha now been rendered homele, aid he i not alone. Several other in Bhattakufer are living under contant fear. We want the government to provide all affected familie with proper houing. Thi i not jut about me it i about jutice for everyone living in danger. She warned that nearly a dozen building are marked unafe and are at rik of collaping one after another. The lack of demarcation, dumping, and unclear acquiition leave farmer in the dark. Yogeh Verma, a farmer from Dhogi village panchayat, aid, There i no clarity on how much land ha been taken. While compenation i being depoited into our account, there i no proper demarcation on the ground. Debri dumping i everely damaging our mall farm, patureland, and common village area. He added that due to the lope cutting for the four-lane expanion, both the upper and lower area of hi farmland have uffered. The agricultural ytem i completely broken. I dont know what logic wa ued to acquire the land. Under the 2013 Land Acquiition Act, an Environmental Impact Aement and a reettlement plan hould have been mandatory. Verma emphaized that even though only one bigha or half a bigha may be affected on paper, it often amount to the total landholding of a farmer in Himachal Pradeh. Every peron damage hould be individually aeed. The company mut take reponibility. Home built above the four-lane zone are in contant danger from machinery-induced vibration even if they fall outide the officially acquired width, he added. Though Monday convention involved nine panchayat, organizer aid thi wa jut the beginning. A wider movement will be launched oon to repreent all affected region. (ANI)

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