Green activists claim that hydel projects are destroying all five river basins and the entire riverine ecology and future of people's livelihoods in Himachal Pradesh. They said Satluj basin alone accounts for 13,332 MW (revised upwards from 10,355 MW under digitized plan) of the state's total identified hydropower potential of 27,436.35 MW.

"If the plan to set up a cascade of a dozen projects is fully implemented, the 230-km stretch of the fast-flowing river from Shipki La (the entry point at China border) to Kol dam will be virtually wiped out. While the 135-km-long power tunnels will effectively kill 160-km length of the river, another 70 km will be subsumed in reservoirs," said Gumman Singh, national coordinator of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan.

Co-chairperson of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan R S Neggi said that in response to the people's struggle, the high court had taken cognizance of the devastation and had set up Shukla Committee, which recommended community assessment of the cumulative impact of hydel projects in the river basin.

Green activists said they are not demanding an eco-sensitive zone which will take away people's rights, but they are demanding a complete ban on destructive hydel projects in all five river basis of Himachal, which are resulting in climate change, loss of livelihoods and severe downstream effects.

They claimed that apart from the changing weather, which is affecting agriculture and horticulture in the region and massive floods, which devastated the tribal region of Kinnaur this year, entire villages have slid downhill due to tunneling activity.