By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The compensation announced by THDC India Ltd for workers killed in the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project tunnel disaster in Chamoli has come under sharp criticism, with CPI(ML) state secretary Indresh Maikhuri and social activist Anoop Nautiyal demanding substantially higher financial assistance for the victims’ families.
The two leaders have questioned the adequacy of the ₹5 lakh ex-gratia announced for the family of each deceased worker, arguing that the amount does not reflect the risks undertaken by workers employed in hazardous hydropower construction projects.
Maikhuri said workers in hydropower projects often put their lives at risk while working in difficult conditions, but safety standards and scientific recommendations frequently remain confined to official documents during project construction.
He alleged that companies tend to minimise compensation when workers become victims of accidents. Referring specifically to the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti project, Maikhuri said THDC was following the same approach by putting a value of only ₹5 lakh on the life of each deceased worker and offering ₹1 lakh to those injured.
Calling the compensation inadequate and an insult to workers’ labour, Maikhuri demanded ₹1 crore for the dependants of each deceased worker, a government or project-related job for one dependant of each victim, and ₹50 lakh for every injured worker.
Social activist Nautiyal also criticised THDC’s compensation package, highlighting the scale of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti project. He pointed out that the project’s estimated cost has risen to more than ₹6,800 crore, while THDC has announced only ₹5 lakh as ex-gratia for each deceased worker.
Nautiyal described the amount as “grossly inadequate” and said it raised serious ethical questions about how the lives of workers engaged in dangerous infrastructure projects are valued.
He noted that the workers were reportedly engaged through project contractor HCC, but argued that the contractual arrangement should not allow THDC to distance itself from responsibility for safety at a project it owns and operates.
Nautiyal also cited THDC’s reported operational revenue of more than ₹7,000 crore in 2025-26, arguing that the company’s financial scale makes the compensation announced for a worker who lost his life at the project site particularly inadequate.
He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to intervene and ask THDC to reconsider the compensation.
Nautiyal demanded at least ₹1 crore for the family of every deceased worker, besides long-term financial, educational and employment support for the victims’ dependants. He also urged the authorities to ensure that the families receive meaningful assistance rather than a one-time payment that may prove insufficient to support them in the long term.
The demands come after the tunnel accident at the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project in Chamoli on August 13, in which workers were trapped following the entry of debris and water into the tunnel. Eight workers were killed and two missing as rescue operations continued to locate those still missing. Twelve workers were also injured.
The criticism has put the spotlight not only on compensation but also on worker safety, contractual responsibility and the need for stronger safeguards in Uttarakhand’s high-risk hydropower construction projects.