Hydropower dams face public anger after Uttarakhand flood tragedy

Heightened public concern about dams complicates India's plan to wean the nation off coal

The flash flood in India’s Himalayan state of Uttarakhand which killed at least 34 people at the weekend has raised public anger over hydropower projects that the government considers essential to decarbonize the nation’s electricity generation.
 

The deluge triggered by a glacial burst near a small hamlet in the north Indian state last Sunday swept away bridges and hydropower stations, including the 520-megawatt Tapovan Vishnugad dam of NTPC Ltd. that was nearing completion. Experts say the incident, induced by the effect of global warming on melting glaciers, was made worse by construction of infrastructure.

READ MORE: Glacier breaks off: