Development, Disaster……. Kismet or Karma!

Updated: Feb 10, 2021

In 2014, we got a proposal to make a documentary on Chandi Prasad Bhatt, the man behind the Chipko Movement.

We called Bhatt Ji to get an appointment to meet him in Gopeshwar. Before we could even begin, he refused to be part of the documentary.

I and Sumit took an arduous road journey from Mumbai to Chamoli, approx. 1896 km to convince him about the film.

After three days, few pit stops we reached Chamoli and settled in a Forest Guesthouse on the bank of Alaknanda river.

Bhattji stays in Gopeshwar, 2-hour hill drive from Chamoli, so next day after inhaling goodness of Alaknanda we drove to Gopeshwar, his office which is at the beginning of the market.

When we met Bhatt Sahab first thing he asked us- Kaha ruke ho, the moment we said at the forest guest house next to Alaknanda, he told us to go back immediately, pack our stuff and he booked us at Garhwal Mandal guest house next to his office.

Finally, we shifted our stuff, he told us, that memory of 2013 is too strong and staying close to the bank of the river is extremely dangerous, don’t ever try it again, we got a small elderly scolding from him.

I told him that we will stick to his promise whenever we come to Uttarakhand but for that, he needs to shoot the film with us.

After 2 relentless days, he agreed and we were back in Mumbai prepping to make the documentary on the legend, but before we said goodbye to him, he gave us enough material to study the ecology of the region from the time of his first satyagraha in 1969.

We spent the next 2 months researching about Bhatt Sahab, his work, understanding Himalayan ecology, about Chipkoand also details on various constructions, dams, hydropower station.

What troubled us was the number of hydropower stations within few km of each other with a minimum megawatt of 400 to 500 which is extremely dangerous in sensitive Himalayan regions like this.

In Feb of 2015, we commenced the shooting of the film, first few days were spent in interviewing and talking to Bhatta Sahab and his team in an around Chamoli, Gopeshwar and Mandal forests.

After we packed up with him, we decided to meet other people who were part of Chipko and Bhattji's followers.

We went to Raini village which was ahead of Joshimath, while driving towards the village we saw a huge hydropower plant, this was close to the Nanda Devi biosphere reserve, to scary to believe, how on earth a hydropower plant is commissioned next to the world heritage site.

Ironically, it was at the tip of Raini village, the landmark of Chipko movement. In 1974 when contractors from badminton company came to cut the trees, the Braveheart’s of Raini under the leadership of Gaura Devi blocked the pathway, hugged the trees and finally contractors had to go back. This, in the true sense, was the “bigul” of Chipko in India.

When we met the villagers, they all grudgingly spoke about the hydro plant, stating that they have complained to the collectors/DM but nothing has moved, this power plant will bring us disaster.

Their only hope they said to me while giving us roasted sheep parshad was the Nandadevi temple, which they told us to visit before leaving for good wishes. I got introduced to kachmauli first time here.

We looked for the office of the Rishi Ganga hydropower plant on Dhauli Ganga River. Officers at the plant refused to talk to us.

I think they saw our cameras before we could hide them. We shot the dam from outside, it was nerve-wracking to think that any disaster could hit here soon, the biggest worry was people living in the area.

For them these mountains have been their ancestors, they have lived here, their forefathers have perished in this land.

They don’t deserve to have these hideous life-threatening hydropower plants to provide electricity to the city at the cost of the ecology of our Himalayas and lives of the people.

I think we were not done, something more shocking was awaiting for us.

In the morning while we were coming to Joshimath we had stopped for chai at a local tea stall opp Tapovan Hydropower plant in anticipation of making an acquittance and understating more about the project.

We got lucky, we met a boisterous man who was in charge of the plant, it took us a few seconds to initiate the conversation, he told us a lot about the project which none of the websites or government papers could provide. One thing which choked me was about the mention of a long tunnel for Alaknanada to be diverted inside it.

It was unbelievable because how can we reroute the river, change the natural course completely???

His conversation gave away the risk of the project but there was enough force outside the dam area so we decided to skip Tapovan and drove to Raini.

Though while coming back we saw only a small team of CRPF at the entrance, we stopped at the same place for chai.

The same guy saw our vehicle and came to say hello, we took our chance and said we are research scholars and want to see the dam.

I for once had a fake MPhil and PhD id made for the documentary shoot which he bought in and told us to get pass the CRPF and then he will take us inside the tunnel.

We took one camera and hid it below the seat and covered it with jute bags, looking like luggage.

Somehow with few lies, we managed to enter the dam and with great risk decided to shoot the tunnel and also interview the workers.

The site of the tunnel was giant, I couldn't wrap my head around it.

On one hand, we met Bhatt Sahab and his team who bought in the revolution and helped save many forests of the region, but what we were witnessing at that moment in Tapovan hydropower plant was the rupture of environmental trust, trust of nature, the trust of local people….

We left the place, made the documentary and like most years visited the region annually, sometimes going back to Raini and meeting the women there and witnessing the monstrous increase in dams, there were too many dams to fathom at every 30 to 50 km distance.

In 2019 when I heard of 4 lane highway, it was a death call by the Indian government, 900 km roadways will kill the nature and ecology of the region.

And what happened three days ago was a disaster in waiting.

Over years I have witnessed an increase in power plants in the valley, many disasters are in waiting, if these are not stopped there will be more destruction.

In cities these disasters just become "news", but truth be told, we are equal criminals in these calamities, these cannot be covered under the garb of "Natural Disasters", these are certainly manmade.

As a city dweller ain't we the criminals? Don’t think you can get away from it.

When I ask people to not use Ac in their homes and only use the light when needed I have been laughed at by many…. Don’t we have the blood of people on our hand?

These thermal hydropower plants are created to give electricity to cities.

While shooting the film we went to Badrinath, saw the remains of 2013. We spoke to few young men playing cards about how JP Plant has changed their lives, pat came the reply, nothing – bus jab Kisi ki death Hoti hai toh JP ke office phone Karna padta hai ki Thoda pani release kar doh, dah sanskar Karna hai.

This is what has become of our Country and this greed is all ours.

Our villagers have to depend on outsiders even after death.

Ab har har gange Kare ki gange ko bachaye …choice is yours.

Here is the link of the film where you can see what Bhatt Sahab wanted to tell us about the ecology of the region and why dams are harmful for the Himalayas.

Tapovan Dam shoot which we did discreetly is part of the film.

The film link incase if the film docent play below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaCkvbDH2EY