Panipat (Haryana): Villagers in Haryana's Khukhrana are in a strange dilemma these days. Those who have been living here for decades are now forced to leave the place. The reason is a nearby thermal power plant. Khukhrana is just 10 kilometers away from Panipat city
Due to the thermal plant, people claim that the groundwater level has increased a lot. The villagers said that if they dig even a foot-deep pit, the groundwater will start oozing out. They claim that the situation worsens during monsoons. Many have migrated from the village as the construction of a new house is impossible in the village, they say.
"The government has offered compensation according to the land's value in 2012, and it is 2023 now, the value has increased," a villager told ETV Bharat. Another one said that the plant was shut for almost two years during which the situation improved. "But as the power plant resumed functioning, the situation turned unbearable again. During monsoons, water flows non-stop from handpumps," he said.
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The villagers say it is difficult to find a solid base to build a house due to the high water level in the soil. They say they have been suffering for the last 20 years since the thermal plant was first installed near the village. Villagers say the ash from the power plant is stored under a lake near the village which increases the water level. Around 50 families have migrated while the rest continue to live after repairing their old houses.
