After a 10-year search, army gets land for ammo depot in Kinnaur

STRATEGIC HP govt has given 500 acres in Lippa village in Kinnaur district to the army

SHIMLA: After scouting for land for over a decade, the Indian army has finally been given a chunk of land by the Himachal government for relocating its ammunition depot located at Powari village in the tribal Kinnaur district, which shares a border with China.

“We have finalised about 500 acres of land at Lippa village in Kinnaur...The army teams will shortly finalise the site,” said an official from the revenue department, requesting anonymity.

The army formation in Kinnaur has ammunition depots at different locations, including Powari which is located close to habitation on the strategic Hindustan Tibet Road. The army had been adamant on shifting the ammunition depot ever since the government decided to construct the 450-megawatt ShongTong hydropower project. Opposing the decision, the Indian army moved court saying that the tunneling work for Shong-Tong project could pose a serious threat to its ammunition depot at Powari that fulfils the requirement for troops deployed at forward posts on the IndoChina border.

Concerns were also raised for locals living in the flood-prone Powari village.

After repeated persuasion, the government offered army lands at different locations. The army authorities scrutinised several land chunks sites near Chiaso, Kanam and Jungi villages to relocate its depot. In Jungi, the army’s proposal of acquiring 1,000 bigha land for the depot was with met strong resistance from the villagers, who observed that the rare forest growing Chilgoza pines will be damaged. Besides, the villagers also objected to Works Defence Act, which forbids activity or structure within a periphery of 1,200 metres of an ammunition depot.

In the wake of resistance from the locals, the government again convinced the army that instead of one depot, the army should set up small depots at different locations which are far from the habitations.

The army has now finally agreed for the chunk of land near Lippa a village.

ARMY HAD BEEN ADAMANT ON SHIFTING AMMUNITION DEPOT IN POWARI EVER SINCE THE GOVT DECIDED TO CONSTRUCT THE HYDROPOWER PROJECT