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Raju Bista, member of Parliament from Darjeeling in north Bengal, has accused Jairam Ramesh of being responsible for the disaster playing out in the basin of the Teesta river across Sikkim as well as West Bengal’s Darjeeling Hills.
In a letter to Ramesh, who was the Union environment minister during the second Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA-II) regime from 2009-2014, Bista said all dams commissioned along the Teesta were approved during the UPA’s rule.
The MP also accused the Congress’ alliance partner — the ruling Trinamool Congress — in West Bengal of refusing to declare the Teesta devastation as a ‘disaster’ and deliberately depriving people in the region of relief funds.
A copy of the letter, issued on August 22, 2024, is with Down To Earth (DTE).
DTE had recently reported about how Ramesh, Rajya Sabha Member and Indian National Congress general secretary (communications), had issued an official statement, highlighting the role of poorly planned projects in creating a humanitarian crisis in the Himalayas.
He had stated that there was a strong connection between the hydel power projects cropping up on the country’s major rivers and the recent spate of floods.
The Teesta basin faced a crisis in October last year when South Lhonak, a glacial lake in the northern part of Sikkim, burst due to heavy rains and caused a severe flood in the Teesta river basin. Forty people died and property worth crores was damaged.
On August 20 this year, at 7:30 am, a major landslide hit East Sikkim causing substantial damage to the Teesta V dam run by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
Bista, in his letter, accused the UPA of being responsible for these incidents.
“Foremost, in your letter you have mentioned that “nine dams have been commissioned, work on 15 dams is going on and another 28 are in the pipeline.” Jairam ji, maybe you have forgotten, but the people of our region haven’t that all of these dams were planned and constructed during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Govt in the Centre and earlier CPIM and later TMC Govt in West Bengal,” he said.
Bista added: “Given that you have been a part of the Congress led Government since 1991 in various capacities, including the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of the Union Ministry of Power, Member of the all-powerful National Advisory Council (NAC), MoS (IC) for Environment and Forest, and MoS Power, it is more than likely that these dams were conceived, and given environmental and other clearances during your tenure.”
He also refuted Ramesh’s statement that the projects had been undertaken without local communities in mind and that the people of Sikkim and Kalimpong had not gained from the hydro projects in terms of employments, share in power or revenue generation.
“Sir, let me respectfully remind you, it was under the Congress government that Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Social Impact Assessments (SIA) were approved for these projects. It was your government that denied the benefits of these projects to the people living in Kalimpong and Darjeeling. In fact, you actually brushed aside the concerns raised by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) appointed by your government, which had raised concern about the Teesta III project,” wrote Bista.
He added that from what he knew, the issue concerning Teesta III was discussed in the EAC meeting held on April 21, 2009.
Bista then quoted from the minutes of the meeting: “Changes adopted by the Teesta Urja contravene environmental clearance accorded on 3rd August, 2007, as per the recommendations made by the EAC and the project was issued environmental clearance with a condition that — in case of chance in the scope of the project, project would require a fresh appraisal.”
Thus, the EIA clearance was given by the UPA government in 2007, concerns were raised by EAC under UPA in 2009, yet nothing was done by the UPA to rectify the situation, said Bista.
He also accused Ramesh personally of being responsible.
“Let me jog your memory Sir, you were the MoS (IC) Environment and Forest from May 2009 to July 2011, and a Cabinet Minister from July 2011 to May 2014, as the Minister directly responsible for the EIA, these concerns must have been brought to your knowledge. Yet, you didn’t do anything. You didn’t require a review of the EIA approval for the Teesta III dam. But today, you have the audacity to pretend as if you are not responsible. To say the least, this is outrageous Sir,” said Bista.
The Darjeeling MP stated that the Centre has allocated Rs 11,474 crores towards State Disaster Relief Funds (across India), “of which WB’s share will be around 1200 crores”.
“Last year it was 1100 crores. Yet, the Trinamool Congress led WB Govt did not utilize any of that fund for providing relief in our region. As TMC is an integral part of your Indi-Alliance, why don’t you write to WB Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ji and demand that she uses SDRF funds for repairing and rehabilitating the people facing Teesta disaster?” asked Bista.
He finally suggested that Ramesh should reflect on the entire Teesta debacle and ask himself: “Shouldn’t you and your party be ashamed of yourselves? It’s like murdering someone, and later sitting on dharna asking for justice for the victim.”
