Activists blame hydel projects for disaster in Uttarakhand

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A group of 12 civil society organisations has held a few hydro power projects squarely responsible for the damages caused by floods in Uttarakhand last month and sought suspension of environment clearance for these projects.

Leading environment organisations from all parts of the country, including Uttarakhand, and some activists have written to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) that it is now beyond doubt that the existing and under-construction hydro power projects in the state have played a significant role in increasing the proportion of the disaster. They cited six projects to prove their point and demanded that environment clearance of these projects be suspended.

Srinagar HEP, a 330-Mw project under construction, has been illegally dumping muck into the river or piling heaps on the slope without any adequate retaining wall, they said. The project authorities are accused of closing the gates of the dam on the evening of June 16 and opened them suddenly the next morning, which led to flooding in the downstream town. The town was submerged not only in water but also in 10-30 feet of muck, they said.

In the cases of 99-Mw Singoli Bhatwari and 76-Mw Phata Byung HEPs on the Mandakini river, in Rudraprayag district, the letter to says both have been dumping muck, which was carried by the river to downstream villages and towns up to Rudraprayag. The 400-Mw VIshnuprayag HEP on the Alaknanda river did not open the gates in time, leading to the reservoir behind the gates getting filled with boulders, it added. The river then bypassed the project and created a new path triggering a huge flash flood in the downstream area and also eroding the banks and the road. This led to massive destruction in Govindghat township, including the bridge to Hemkund Sahib, endangering the lives of pilgrims and tourists.

Maneri Bhali I and II also failed to open the gates on time, leading to huge damage due to floods, the letter says. Maneri Bhali itself was damaged in the process.

The 280-Mw Dhouliganga HEP is also being blamed for floods in the downstream area.

The powerhouse itself was submerged and the project is yet to start generation, the letter said. Small HEPs have also suffered damage and are being held responsible for increased disaster impact. The projects include 4-Mw Kaliganga I and 10-Mw Kaliganga II, 9.5-Mw Madhyamaheshwar HEP, 5-Mw Motighat, Assiganga I and II.

The activists urged the MoEF to amend the environment impact assessment (EIA) notification to include all hydro projects above 1 Mw under category B1 so that they all have EIA and go through the public consultation process.

Himanshu Thakkar of South Asia Network of Dams, Rivers and People, a signatory of the letter, says the US laws demand reevaluation of any project after a disaster. "We should also follow this norm," he said.

The letter sought suspension of repair and construction of the projects mentioned above as they need to be reviewed in view of the disaster. It said the landslide impact assessment of these projects had been inadequate.

The activists sought an independent inquiry into disaster impacts due to Rs Rs wrong and illegal functioning of projects mentioned.

The signatories included Ravi Chopra of Peoples Science Institute, Dehradun; Bharat Jhunjhunwala, a former professor of Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore and Prakash Nautiyal and Mohan Singh Panwar of Garhwal University, Srinagar.