The Underwater Ghost Town of India

The story of the Tehri Dam in the Uttarakhand province of India is unique. On one end, it’s one of the largest dams in the country. It supplies electricity and drinking water to millions in Northern India. On the other hand, it is erected on the grave of an old bustling town. When we lose a city, it’s not just the buildings and inhabitants, but also the history, emotions, and ties to the land. This loss can’t be compensated by rehabilitation or resettlement. The city vanished but not its memories. Every year the memory of the old city is celebrated by writing slogans, burning candles, and making models of old Tehri.

Location of Tehri

Tehri is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in the Uttarakhand (UK) province of India. It is situated at the confluence of three rivers — Bhagirathi, Bhilangna, and Ghrit Ganga, the last one has since disappeared. The ancient site was considered holy with numerous temples and forts built during 823 AD- 886AD. The city is 359 kilometers (9 hrs) from New Delhi, the capital of India.

A historic site

While the area around Tehri was inhabited for more than 1000 years, the modern town was established in the 1800s. At that time King Sudarshan Shah established the modern town as his capital. The chief priest of the king famously announced that the city would not last more than 200 years. No one believed this prediction then. The city is now a ghost town, submerged underwater.

King Sudarshan Shah’s successors developed the various neighborhoods of the city. He also established schools, a court, a printing press, and a palace. He wired the city connecting it to the electricity network. A clock tower was established in 1897 to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria. The tip of the clock tower is often visible when the water recedes in the reservoir.

The Shah dynasty built the city as a center for handmade paper. They even supplied the paper to the British in colonial times.

Making of the Tehri dam

After India’s independence, several dams were constructed for power generation, irrigation, and improving water supply. Tehri was chosen for dam construction in 1949. After preliminary studies, construction began in 1978. But, was delayed due to financial, environmental, and social reasons. The Soviet Union provided technical and financial assistance in 1986. But, due to political instability in the Soviet Union, work was halted. Finally, the dam was constructed in 2006, 45 years after the initial plans were drawn. A 42 km2 reservoir was constructed for the dam to function. Remains of Tehri lie submerged in this reservoir.

Protests against the dam

The dam was hotly protested by several social, human rights, and environmental organizations. The dam was being built in a fragile ecozone and would displace thousands of people. The geological stability of the dam was another concern. The dam lies in the central Himalayan seismic gap, a major geologic fault zone. Several earthquakes hit the area in the nineties. A strong quake in this area can damage the dam and cause major floods. Anti-dam struggles continued until 2004 when the city started to drown. Many of the residents resettled in neighboring cities. New Tehri, a city modeled on the drowned Tehri was developed for resettlement. Yet, many of the original residents await rehabilitation to this day.

Protest by the monks

Hindu monks were dissatisfied when several of the rivers considered holy were stopped to fill the reservoir. A phrase in Hindi (the waters of the river Ganges flow reverse) came true as the reservoir was filled. The monks were enraged by the exploitation of the waters to generate electricity. This protest was also in vain. When the reservoir was filled to its maximum capacity, the river was allowed to flow normally.

My trip to the Dam

I happened to visit the dam a few years back. It was summer and the reservoir was not full. I could make out the ruins of the palace and the clock tower. Watching over the lake and the submerged city made me sad. I thought about the residents of the city who were unmoored for development. It reminded me of the old saying -

Old leaves fall to give place to the new one

When I had first read this, I had construed it as old leaves happily giving space to new ones. Now, I wonder if old leaves are actually forced out as new ones push them! The same is true for old buildings. Often, they are erased to build shiny new infrastructure!

Progress comes with its own costs