Spotlight falls on risks posed by power projects in U’khand

NEW Although the Supreme Court took suo motu (on its own motion) cognizance of the 2013 Kedarnath cloudburst and flooding that killed over 5,000 people and an expert committee warned as early as in 2014 that hydroelectric projects could pose a disaster risk to the state, Uttarakhand is still pursuing the construction of hydroelectric projects and dams.

This is obvious from an affidavit filed in SC by the Uttarakhand government on August 28, 2020, in response to an appeal by developers of a hydroelectric project on the Alaknanda river to resume operations following a stay imposed on all hydroelectric projects in the state. The affidavit says:“…the Uttarakhand government has been facing acute power shortage... and has been forced to purchase electricity amounting to ₹1,000 crore annually”

A committee headed by Ravi Chopra, director of the People’s Science Institute, submitted a detailed report which warned that a glacial retreat in the state, coupled with structures built for hydroelectricity generation and dams, could lead to large-scale disasters downstream.

NEW DELHI: Although the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the 2013 Kedarnath cloudburst and flooding that killed over 5,000 people and an expert committee warned in 2014 that hydroelectric projects could pose a disaster risk to the state, Uttarakhand is still pursuing the construction of hydroelectric projects and dams.

This is obvious from an affidavit filed in the SC by the Uttarakhand government on August 28, 2020 in response to an appeal by developers of a hydroelectric project on the Alaknanda river to resume operations following a stay imposed on all hydroelectric projects in the state.

The affidavit, seen by HT, says: “…the Uttarakhand government has been facing acute power shortage in recent times and has been forced to purchase electricity amounting to ₹1,000 crore annually, casting an additional burden on the finances of the hilly state...”

The Uttarakhand government and the Union environment ministry still don’t have a policy on such projects.

The SC, in a 2013 order, ruled no new hydroelectrical power projects should be set up in the state. In all, 69 projects were envisaged, and 24 were granted environmental clearance. The SC sought a scientific assessment of the cumulative impact of hydel plants in the state.

Following the SC order, a committee headed by Ravi Chopra, director of the People’s Science Institute, submitted a detailed report which warned that a glacial retreat in the state, coupled with structures built for hydroelectricity generation and dams, could lead to large-scale disasters downstream.

The Union environment ministry, in its December 17, 2014 affidavit, also took note of the findings of the Chopra committee report.

The affidavit acknowledged that upper reaches of the state above 2,200 metres were prone to landslides and located in seismic zones.

The ministry sought to study the seismological vulnerability, cloudbursts caused by climate change and advise on the location, size and design of future hydroelectric projects.

HT tried reaching RP Gupta, secretary of environment ministry, for a comment on the policybut was unable to contact him.