Call for Sadhugram Relocation and Rehabilitation Efforts

In the Lok Sabha, demands rose for an alternate site for 'Sadhugram' construction in Nashik to spare 1,800 trees from felling. Concerns were also raised about unresolved rehabilitation for Pong Dam affected families since the project's inception in 1970, and the need for rehabilitation centers in Meghalaya for youth struggling with drug addiction.

In a session of the Lok Sabha, significant attention was directed towards the potential environmental impact of developing 'Sadhugram' in Nashik's Tapovan area, with representatives advocating for an alternative location to save 1,800 trees. The request comes ahead of the 2027 Kumbh Mela in Nashik-Trimbakeshwar.

Shiv Sena-UBT member Rajabhau Waje prompted the Centre to consider an alternate site, reflecting local opposition. Concurrently, BJP member Anurag Thakur spotlighted the prolonged plight of 6,500 families from Himachal Pradesh still awaiting rehabilitation after being displaced by the Pong Dam project initiated in 1970.

Thakur urged the formation of a joint task force between Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh to expedite resettlement. Additionally, Congress MP Saleng A Sangma highlighted the dire need for rehabilitation centers in Meghalaya, where youth face drug addiction and associated health challenges like HIV/AIDS, advocating for government intervention to establish support infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)