hydro power in northeast india

8/8/2019 Hydro Power in Northeast India

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Hydropower Projects and Big Dams in the Northeast:Issues and Concerns

Chandan Mahanta

Professor & Head, Centre for the Environment

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, [email protected]


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Brahmaputra Basin:at a glance

Drainage are: 580,000 km2

In India

Not reflective of mainland India;People disadvantaged, less educated;

Political and social marginality;

Small ethnic minority;

Especially vulnerable to negative

consequences


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FearedoutcomeofHydropowerdevelopmentinNER

Geographicaldisadvantage:Compoundeddisasters

Inequitablebenefit

Downstreamdisplacement

Lossofculturalheritage

Disruponofcommunitynetworks Deforestaon

Lossofuniquebiodiversity

Challengeoftransiontoalternavelivelihood

Channelsedimentaon SloppyEIA


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Multi purpose dams

Flood storage as integral part of hydropowerprojects in Arunachal Pradesh

Dam safety

Environmental aspects Availability of power grid system

International transmission routes

Electrification of villages

Job creation Monetary compensation

Improvedlivingandpublichealthcondionstoaffectedcommunies

Community involvement in decision making

Other issues for development of

hydropower in the Northeastern region


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Preference on small/mini/micro/pico hydel projects ina targeted manner

Ensure that socio economic security, livelihoodsecurity, water security, and food security is notendangered

Comprehensivereviewofalternavestomegadams

Monitoringimpactsandacviesduringconstruconandoperaon

GreaterriskofdownstreamcommuniesmustberecognizedandaccountedforinworkingoutcompensaonpackageforProjectAffectedPeople

Acomprehensiveriskcompensaonplanwithconsentandacceptanceofthecommunity,andsustainablelong-termsoluonstoprotectthelivelihoodsandsocialcohesionofthecommunity


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Conclusions

Thequesonthatneedstobeaskediswhether

NEwithitsprofoundgeo-environmentalrisks

anditsfragileecosystemcansustainthelevelofhydropoweracviesthatiscurrently

underwayandisbeingenvisaged

Buildingmoredamsispotenallyazerosum

gameinseveralIndianbasins

GiventheHimalayangeology,thehardtruthis

thatsuchanunprecedentednumberofproject

withunprecedentedscalescaneasilyturntobe

ablunder


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Distrustbylocalstakeholdersofcurrentapproachesandtheirbenefitstocommonpeople:Trustdeficit

CredibilitydeficitandAdequacydeficitInstitutional mechanism an umbrella organization-beyondNEWRA: NHRI, NEEMA

Regional-scalescienficinvesgaonconsideringthecumulaveriskofallprojectsandcarryingcapacityofBB


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hydro power in northeast india

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