तनँहू जलविद्युत परियोजना प्रभावितद्वारा विरोध प्रदर्शन | Tanahu Hydropower Project affected communities stage protests

February 23, 2017

बुधवार ११ फाल्गुन, तनहुँ

तनँहू जलविद्युत परियोजनाको मुआब्जा तथा क्षतिपूर्ति निर्धारण समितिको विरोधमा परियोजना प्रभावितहरूले “जग्गाको सट्टा जग्गा दे, घरको सट्टा घर दे विभेदकारी मुआब्जा तथा क्षतिपूर्ति निर्देशिका बदर गर, पुर्नवास तथा आदिवासी जनजाति निति लागू गर, ए. डि. बि सुरक्षण निति पालना गर, अर्थपूर्ण परामर्श गर” लगायतको नारा उल्लेखित प्ले कार्ड सहित ३००-३५० जना प्रभावितहरूको बृहत् ¥याली मादी पुलबाट परियोजनाको कार्यालय हुदैँ जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यलय दमौली अगाडि कोण सभामा परिणत भएको थियो ।

received_948044341998942

22 February, Tanahu

Tanahu Hydropower Project affected communities today staged a protest rally and assembly against the decision of compensation for the land acquisition and other impacts of the Project made by a governmental committee. The communities demanded land-for-land and house-for-house compensation, annulment of the discriminatory compensation directives in relation to the Project, respect for the Asian Development Bank safeguards and conduct of meaningful consultations for the implementation of the Project. Around 300-350 attended the rally that started from Madi Bridge and passed through the Project office before turning into a corner assembly in front of Tanahu District Administration office.

Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Investment Bank (EIB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are jointly financing the Project with Nepal Government, which Tanahu Hydropower Limited under Nepal Electricity Authority is implementing.

 

ADB co-financed Tanahu Hydropower Project affected communities reject compensation

February 11, 2017

*Please note this is an unofficial translation

To editors of all media agencies
10 February 2017

Press release

The reports in local newspapers published on 10 February 2017 that Tanahu Hydropower Project have taken forward the process of distribution of compensation to the residents of reservoir area have drawn serious attention of the concerned people of the inundation area. The compensation has been determined in a one-sided and arbitrary manner without informing and obtaining consent of the affected people or their participation despite the preliminary discussions on the issue. The bodies of affected people – Tanahu Hydropower Directly Affected Area Concerned Committee & Directly Concerned Inundation Area Conservation Committee – jointly condemn the decision in strongest terms and express our disagreement on it.

We would like to draw the attention of the concerned agencies that the affected people do not agree with the compensation determined in any way and call on to consider the following points when determining compensation:

  1. We have the natural right to determine the value of our lands ourselves. However, the compensation determined without our consent is undemocratic, so the compensation should be determined with our consent.
  2. The compensation should be determined on the basis of not only the traditional thinking but also the scientific analysis of the use of the lands
  3. Discrimination in compensation fixation
    Among the affected areas under the Tanahu Hydropower Project, the residents of Jhaputar were provided compensation at the rate of minimum NPR 100,000 to NPR 300,000 per anna (31.80 m²). However, as per the news reports, we learnt of the decision that the residents within the reservoir under the same project would be compensated at the rate of NPR 200,000 to 800,000 per ropani (508.72 m²). Such discriminatory decision should be annulled and compensation should be distributed as per the 26-point memorandum of the affected people
  4. About rejecting the compensation
    We notify that we will not accept the compensation determined currently until the 26-point demands are addressed.
  5. We notify that we will even submit a complaint to the Asian Development Bank regarding the discriminatory decision of the Project.
  6. We notify that we will undertake strong protests if the 26-point demands are not addressed and will publish the protest programmes in near future

Signed
President
Directly Concerned Inundation Area Conservation Committee

President
Tanahu Hydropower Directly Affected Area Concerned Committee

Click here to read the original press release in Nepali and here to download the unofficial English translation of the press release.

Dialogue Seminar on Ensuring Communities’ Rights in Nepal’s REDD+ Process organized

January 13, 2017

13 January 2017, Bhaktapur

CEmSoJ organized a two-day “Dialogue Seminar on Ensuring Communities’ Rights in Nepal’s REDD+ Process in Nepal” in Bhaktapur on 12-13 January 2017 so as to enhance the awareness of the concerned stakeholders and share knowledge among them on the concept of REDD+ and associated practices and impacts.

More than 45 representatives of various stakeholder organizations, including Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF), Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN), Nepal Bar Association (NBA) and environmental lawyers’ groups as well as REDD+ Implementation Center of the Government of Nepal attended the seminar.

Participants of the seminar discussed practices and impacts of implementation of the concept of REDD+ in global context and the current situation of REDD+ implementation in Nepal in the context of the writ petition CEmSoJ had filed in Nepal’s Supreme Court last year for strong safeguards for the rights of indigenous peoples and forest-dependent communities as per international legal standards for designing and implementing REDD+ in Nepal.

15965270_1455236567819843_8356581494854122670_nThe participants identified the need to undertake greater awareness raising on REDD+ particularly at the community levels, stronger advocacy and litigation for legal reforms to make Nepal’s relevant laws at par international human rights standards including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and put greater attention to specific impacts on indigenous women due to climate change and proposed solutions therefor, among others at the conclusion of the seminar.

Climate Change Adaptation Expert Shree Kumar Maharjan, CEmSoJ Chairperson Prabindra Shakya, National Coordinator of NEFIN Climate Change and REDD Partnership Programme Tunga Bhadra Rai, Under Secretary of REDD+ Implementation Center Dr. Mohan Prasad Poudel and Advocate Dil Raj Khanal of FECOFUN delivered paper or presentations on REDD+ Practices and Impacts, Writ Petition filed in Nepal, Climate Change and Rights of Indigenous Peoples, REDD+ Implementation in Nepal and Framework for Carbon Trade in Nepal during the seminar. Kathmandu University School of Law Prof. Prakash KC and Senior Advocate Dr. Chandra Kant Gyawali facilitated and reported on the sessions of the seminar.

Tanahu Hydropower Project affected communities submit 26-point memorandum to Energy Minister

December 19, 2016

18 December 2016
Kathmandu

Affected communities of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded Tanahu Hydropower Project today submitted a 26-point memorandum to Nepal’s Energy Minister Janardan Sharma informing on their concerns with the Project impacts and setting forth their demands.

In the memorandum, the Tanahu Hydropower Directly Affected Area Concerned Committee and Directly Concerned Inundation Area Conservation Committee have welcomed the Project for the sake of the country’s prosperity even though it has great impacts on their traditional lands, livelihoods and socio-economic life. They have alleged that the Project has deprived them of their right to formal information and misled the ADB by reporting up to 12 consultations when there has not been any meaningful consultation and not obtained consent though required by the ADB.

The memorandum calls on the Project, with copies furnished to relevant government authorities as well as the Project financiers –the ADB, European Investment Bank (EIB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to immediately fulfill their demands, which include provide a copy of the Resettlement and Indigenous Peoples Plan of the Project as well as ADB Safeguards Policy applicable to the Project, conduct meaningful consultations with the affected communities and include their representation in compensation fixation committee as well as to provide compensation for traditional lands of the communities to which the affected families do not hold legal title, among other demands.

After listening to the demands, Minister Sharma (not to be quoted) assured that the Project was for the people and our development, so the Nepal’s Government was always ready to help the local communities. He also said that though all the demands would not be fulfilled, their rights would also not be curtailed.

Parliamentarian of Tanahu district from Nepali Congress, the largest party in Nepal, Jhul Bahadur Ale (not to be quoted) was also present in the meeting and positive to the demands of the affected communities.

After meeting the Minister, the affected communities’ representatives went to the Project office in Kathmandu to submit their memorandum. However, since the CEO of Tanahu Hydropower Ltd was out of country, they filed their memorandum with the Deputy Manager, Chanda Ananda Raj Vaidya (not to be quoted). He informed about the works ongoing with the Project and took the demands positively and promised to respond to them shortly.

Earlier in November, the two bodies of the affected communities had submitted their memorandum to the local office of the Project.

You can read the original memorandum in Nepali here and the draft translation in English here (personal identities and pictures kept confidential).

तनहुँ जलविद्युत् परियोजनाबाट प्रभावितद्वारा ऊर्जा मन्त्री समक्ष २६ बुँदे ज्ञापन पत्र पेश

December 18, 2016

२०७३ पौष ३, काठमाडौं

एसियली विकास बैंकको (एडिबी) संयुक्त लगानीमा निर्माणाधीन तनहुँ जलविद्युत् परियोजनाबाट प्रभावित समुदायका प्रतिनिधिहरुले आज ऊर्जा मन्त्री जनार्दन शर्मालाई परियोजनाले समुदायमा पारेका प्रभावको जानकारी र प्रभावित समुदायका मागसहितको २६ बुँदे ज्ञापनपत्र बुझाएका छन् ।

तनहुँ जलविद्युत प्रत्यक्ष प्रभावित क्षेत्र सरोकार समिति र प्रत्यक्ष सरोकार डुबान क्षेत्र संरक्षण समितिले बुझाएको ज्ञापनपत्रमा तनहुँ जलविद्युत् परियोजनाले समुदायको पुख्र्यौली जग्गा जमिन, जिविकोपार्जन र सामाजिक( आर्थिक जीवनमा ठूलो असर पर्ने भएतापनि देशको समृद्धिको लागि परियोजनाको स्वागत गरेको छ । प्रभावित समुदायको औपचारिक सूचना पाउने हक वञ्चित भएको र एडिबीको सुरक्षण नीतिअनुसार अर्थपूर्ण परामर्श नगरिएपनि परियोजनाले १२ पटकसम्म परामर्श लिएको भनी बैँकलाई भ्रमित गरेको र परियोजना निर्माण गर्नु पूर्व प्रभावित समुदायको स्वीकृति लिनु पर्नेमा सो समेत नलिएको ज्ञापनपत्रमा उल्लेख गरिएको छ ।

प्रभावित समुदायले ज्ञापनपत्रमा सम्बन्धित सरकारी निकायलगायत परियोजनाका लगानीकर्ता एडिबी, युरोपेली लगानी बैंक र जापान अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय सहयोग निकायलाई आफ्ना माग तुरुन्तै सम्बोधन गर्न आव्हान गरेका छन् । परियोजनाद्वारा निर्मित पुनर्वास तथा आदिवासी जनजातिसम्बन्धी योजनाको मस्यौदाको प्रतिलिपि र एडिबीको सुरक्षण नीति नेपाली भाषामा उपलब्ध गराउने, प्रभावित समुदायसँग अर्थपूर्ण परामर्श गर्नुपर्ने र मुआब्जा निर्धारण समितिमा तिनको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्नुपर्ने तथा जग्गाधनी पुर्जा नभएको तर पुस्तौ पुस्तादेखि भोगचलन गदैँ आएका जग्गाको पनि क्षतिपूर्ति दिनुपर्ने लगायतका मागहरु ज्ञापनपत्रमा राखिएका छन् ।

प्रभावितका माग सुनेपछि उर्जामन्त्री शर्माले सो परियोजना जनताको लागि र तिनको विकासको लागि भएको र त्यसैले नेपाल सरकार स्थानीय समुदायलाई सहयोग गर्न सदैव तयार रहेकोमा सुनिश्चित पार्नुभयो । सबै मागहरू पूरा नहुन सक्ने भएपनि जनताका अधिकार पनि हनन नहुने उहाँको कथन थियो ।

उर्जामन्त्रीसँगको भेटमा नेपाली काँगे्रसबाट तनहुँ जिल्लाका सभासद् झुल बहादुर आले पनि उपस्थित हुनुहुन्थ्यो । उहाँ पनि प्रभावित समुदायका मागहरू प्रति सकरात्मक हुनुहुन्थ्यो ।

उर्जामन्त्रीसँगको भेटपछि प्रभावित समुदायका प्रतिनिधिहरू ज्ञापनपत्र बुझाउन तनहुँ जलविद्युत् कम्पनीको काठमाडौँस्थित कार्यालयमा पुगेका थिए । तथापि कम्पनीका प्रमुख कार्यकारी अधिकृत देशबाहिर भएकोले तिनले उपप्रमुख चन्द« आनन्द राज वैद्यलाई आफ्नो ज्ञापनपत्र बुझाए । उपप्रमुख वैद्यले परियोजनाको कार्यप्रगति बारे जानकारी गराउँदै कम्पनी प्रभावितका मागहरूप्रति सकारात्मक भएको र चाडैँ नै सम्बोधन गरिने प्रतिबद्धता गर्नुभयो ।

प्रभावित समुदायले मंसिर ५ गते स्थानीय परियोजना कार्यलयमा सो ज्ञापनपत्र बुझाएकोमा परियोजनको तर्फबाट हालसम्म कुने प्रतिक्रिया आएको छैन भने मंसिर ८ गते तनहुँ जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यालयले प्रभावितका समितिलाई बैठकमा बोलाएको भएतापनि माग सम्बोधनप्रति कुनै कार्य भएको छैन ।

ज्ञापनपत्र पढ्नको लागि यहाँ क्लिक गर्नुहोस्।

Khokana Newars file complaint to NHRC over human rights violations in land acquisition for Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track Highway

September 26, 2016

26 September 2016, Lalitpur

Newars of Khokana area today filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission demanding redress for violations of their property, land and cultural rights in course of land acquisition process for Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhes Fast Track Highway.

Land acquisition notice for the Fast Track Highway, a national pride project, was published in March. Khokana representatives, including local political leaders, had immediately submitted a complaint to the Ministry of Home Affairs citing disagreements over absence of consultation among affected communities about the project design as well as impacts. There has not been any response to their complaint. more “Khokana Newars file complaint to NHRC over human rights violations in land acquisition for Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track Highway” …

काठमाडौँ तराई द्रुतमार्गको जग्गा अधिग्रहणमा खोकनामा मानव अधिकार उल्लंघन भएको भन्दै राष्ट्रिय मानवअधिकार आयोगमा उजुरी

September 26, 2016

ललितपुर, ६ आश्विन २०७३

काठमाडौँ तराई (मधेस) द्रुतमार्ग परियोजनाको जग्गा अधिग्रहण प्रक्रियामा खोकनावासीका सम्पत्ति, जमिन तथा संस्कृतिलगायतका अधिकार हनन भएको भन्दै स्थानीय प्रतिनिधिहरुले राष्ट्रिय मानवअधिकार आयोगमा उजुरी गरेका छन् ।

राष्ट्रिय गौरवको परियोजना भनिएको दु्रतमार्गको लागि खोकना क्षेत्रमा जग्गा अधिग्रहणको सूचना गत चैतमा प्रकाशित गरिएको थियो । लगत्तै राजनीतिक दलका स्थानीय नेतासहित स्थानीय प्रतिनिधिहरुले प्रभावित समुदायसँग योजना निर्माण र त्यसका प्रभावबारे कुनै परामर्श नगरी जग्गा अधिग्रहण गर्न लागिएको कार्यमा अस्वीकृति जनाउँदै गृह मन्त्रालयमा उजुरी दर्ता गरेका थिए । सो उजुरीको हालसम्म कुनै सम्बोधन भएको छैन । more “काठमाडौँ तराई द्रुतमार्गको जग्गा अधिग्रहणमा खोकनामा मानव अधिकार उल्लंघन भएको भन्दै राष्ट्रिय मानवअधिकार आयोगमा उजुरी” …

Nepal’s activists submit memo to the UN for implementation of right to multilingual education on Indigenous Peoples Day

August 9, 2016

Nepal’s indigenous rights activists and educationists have urged the UN to take actions for implementation of the right to multilingual education in a letter of memorandum submitted to the UN country office on Tuesday for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

more “Nepal’s activists submit memo to the UN for implementation of right to multilingual education on Indigenous Peoples Day” …

Shadow report on violations of indigenous children’s rights in Nepal submitted to the UN

April 18, 2016

US-based NGO Cultural Survival, together with CEmSoJ and other organizations, today submitted a shadow report on violations of indigenous children’s rights for the review of Nepal under the 72nd session of Committee on the Rights of the Child. The review of Nepal is scheduled for 19-20 May, 2016.

The report details continuing violations of rights of indigenous children in relation to constitutional rights, citizenship rights, early marriage, health, education, violence against children, trafficking, child labor and ineffective post-earthquake aid. more “Shadow report on violations of indigenous children’s rights in Nepal submitted to the UN” …