Forgotten Oustees: Bilaspur Still Struggles For Justice Decades After Building Bhakra Dam
Those who lost their home, hearths, culture and heritage in Bilaspur’s submergence continue to await dignified rehabilitation, reports Shubham Rahi
Bhakra Nangal Dam (ETV Bharat)
ByETV Bharat English Team
Published :August 9, 2026 at 7:16 PM IST
Bilaspur: Even after 65 years of their displacement, the Bhakra oustees are yet to come to terms with their loss. It was on August 9, 1961, that the old Bilaspur city and 354 villages around it were submerged to build the Bhakra dam in Himachal Pradesh
The Bhakra Nangal Dam, built on the Sutlej River, was constructed under the Bhakra Nangal Project. Its construction began in 1948 and was completed in 1962. On October 22, 1963, the country’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, dedicated it to the nation
At the inauguration, Nehru had said, “Something is amazing, something awe-inspiring, something that stirs your heart in the Bhakra Nangal project. Bhakra is a symbol of India’s progress. The main purpose of this dam is irrigation and power generation.”
India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during the ianuguration of Bhakra Nangal Dam (ETV Bharat Archive)
According to estimates, nearly 12,000 families comprising around 52,000 people were forced to abandon their homes and hearths. While the new city of Bilaspur stands established today, the pain and struggle of those displaced continue unabated. Bilaspur was earlier known as the Kahlur state
Sandeep Sankhyan, a member of a displaced family, said, “The pain of that displacement is still fresh. There’s no doubt that the dam built illuminated the entire country and launched numerous schemes and projects. Irrigation facilities were established as far as Punjab and Rajasthan. However, the pain in the hearts of the people of Bilaspur remains fresh even today.”
“Bilaspur was submerged, and new houses were built in a planned manner. But it’s very difficult to evaluate the ancient culture and civilisational sentiments that were submerged. Our mythology, religious and cultural heritage that are buried beneath the water cannot be restored to perfection even today,” he added
Senior citizens become emotional when they remember the old city where an entire culture resided in its streets, courtyards, temples and freshwateranchrukhi and the rare paintings of the Gopal Temple were all lost in the depths of the Gobind Sagar lake
Forgotten Oustees: Bilaspur Still Struggles For Justice Decades After Building Bhakra Dam (ETV Bharat)
When India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, called the Bhakra Dam ‘the modern temple of the nation’, he promised that those displaced would be provided amenities that would help them forget their suffering
But chroniclers like Kuldeep Chandel say the promise remained merely an assurance. The displaced people were not properly rehabilitated and were denied ownership of the land they took shelter in. The 150 square metre policy introduced to regularise illegal encroachments actually proved more beneficial to the non-displaced people
General Secretary of All-Party Bhakra Displaced and Affected Committee Pandit Jaikumar Sharma and President of Rural Bhakra Displaced Reform Committee Deshraj Sharma claimed that the displaced have always suffered political neglect
Forgotten Oustees: Bilaspur Still Struggles For Justice Decades After Building Bhakra Dam (ETV Bharat)
According to them, if the old city existed today, its rich culture and heritage would have stood out in a different light. Former MLA late Pandit Dinanath poignantly depicted that painful moment in his famous poem, ‘Nau August Ki Shaam’
Those displaced still face problems related to residential plots and their rehabilitation. It is learnt that 118 displaced people have received plots so far while the remaining 270 are still waiting. The state government has now formulated a new proposal to purchase private land and provide plots to the displaced people
Initially, 256 bighas of land in Changar Palasi near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was selected but was found unsuitable. Subsequently, government land near Gwalthai was considered, but that too did not work out. Now, the administration has submitted a proposal to purchase private land. Once approved, this plan will be implemented, raising the possibility that displaced people will finally get their rights
Forgotten Oustees: Bilaspur Still Struggles For Justice Decades After Building Bhakra Dam (ETV Bharat)
Another member of a displaced family, Surendra Gupta, said,”Be it the previous governments or the present ones, the surprising thing is that till date neither any plantation has been done nor any parking arrangement has been made in this city for the displaced people.”
“When this city was built, there used to be one or two vehicles that are now in the thousands. But there is no arrangement for parking. Challans are being issued in quick succession. We demand that the government provide facilities like electricity, water, parking, etc,” he added
Gupta urged the administration to bring offices to Bilaspur so that the common people can get employment here and earn their daily bread. According to Sandeep Sankhyan, another oustee, Bilaspur encompasses four assembly constituencies of which three and a half were affected
“Vast agricultural land and fields have been submerged. Our walls have been submerged and washed away. Although some houses have been rebuilt, the sense of belonging hasn’t been restored. The wounds remain fresh. We can never restore our heritage, but the government should strive to restore the basic foundations. Around 27-28 temples in the city of Bilaspur, built in the Nagara style and some in the Ratha style, have remained unrenovated. The schemes for another 65-66 temples too haven’t been implemented,” he said.
Forgotten Oustees: Bilaspur Still Struggles For Justice Decades After Building Bhakra Dam (ETV Bharat)
He added that while their displacement stands justified on developmental grounds, from Bilaspur’s perspective, the new Bilaspur built in concrete in a planned manner lost its soul. Writer Vijay Kumar added, “Elders say the new city was built on the lines of Chandigarh. But over time, encroachment has spoiled the new city as well. Bilaspur used to have a pleasant atmosphere that has changed now.”
“Raja Anand Chand, the last King of the Bilaspur state, was a man of harmony, law and justice. He was a visionary. Alcohol was prohibited here. Great attention was paid to literacy. There was an atmosphere of love, brotherhood and preservation of cultural heritage,” he said
During his recent visit, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu assured the Bhakra oustees of a speedy resolution. It is felt that the pain of displacement can only be alle
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