DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government's proposed river-linking project, which aims to solve the long-standing water crisis in remote areas of the hill state, is seeing protests from local villagers. Several residents of Chamoli, where devastating flash floods killed around 200 people in February 2021, have come out against the project, through which the government intends to connect glacier-fed rivers with rain-fed ones.
The protesters claim that the project threatens the livelihood of local people and the biodiversity of Pindar Valley, which spreads over an area of around 400 km across several hill districts and is home to eco-sensitive meadows like Bedni and Aali. Grains, vegetables and fruits unique to the region are also grown here, including hill pulses, rice, apple, plum and potato.
