Centre identifies Arunachal as powerhouse of the country
Even as anti-mega dam groups and organisations in Assam have intensified their agitation, demanding halt to the ongoing 2,000-MW Lower Subonsiri hydroelectric project of NHPC Limited at Gerukamukh on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, the Union government is pushing for 157 hydro power schemes with an installed capacity of 57,672 MW in the northeast, including Sikkim, for meeting the shortfall in the country's power generation.
Of these, 114 schemes, with an aggregate installed capacity of 35,257.5 MW, have been allotted to the private sector. The central public sector undertakings have got 13 schemes (8,977 MW).
The Centre has identified the ecologically fragile Arunachal Pradesh as the powerhouse of the country. According to an estimate of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and private power developers, this State bordering China has the potential to generate over 57,000 MW of hydro power.
Of the 133 projects already allotted to the State, 125, with an installed capacity of 32,883.40 MW, have been given to private developers. The central public sector undertakings have got eight projects (8,735 MW).
Of the total 133 projects, 36 are mega ones, with each having an installed capacity 350 MW and above. The rest (25 MW and above) involve construction of large dams. So far, only four projects have got the final clearance and are in various stages of construction.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has granted pre-construction (scoping) clearances to over 50 projects under the EIA notification 2006. Final environmental clearance has been given to 13 projects.
Revenue collection
Arunachal will get 12 per cent free power from each project. The State government collected revenue in terms of processing fee and upfront premium to the tune of Rs. 1320 crore (as on September 30, 2010) from the allottee owner-developers.
“Once the companies pay the upfront premium and sign the MoU for a particular project, they are not concerned about public hearing and are under the impression that even if there is 100 per cent opposition in the public hearing they would still get all necessary clearance for construction of the project. The State government should let the people know as to what it has done with upfront money so collected,” Vijay Taram of the Forum for Siang Dialogue told The Hindu. His organisation has been opposing the construction of dams on the Siang river.
Student and youth organisations of the State have been alleging that public hearings were conducted without proper information to people and in the presence of the police and paramilitary forces.
The ongoing and the allotted hydropower projects in Arunachal have triggered anti-mega dam movements as the State falls in Seismic Zone V. The agitating groups have been raising concern, also over a possible adverse impact on the ecology and livelihood in downstream areas, primarily in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts and the Majuli river island in Assam.
The All Assam Students' Union, RTI activist and peasant leader Akhil Gogoi-led Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad and their allies have been demanding a halt to the construction of the Lower Subonsiri project.
They have alleged that construction was taken up without conducting a comprehensive scientific study on downstream impact of the dam in the form of flood, erosion, environment and bio-diversity, livelihood.
An expert group constituted to study the downstream impact of the project came out with a recommendation against construction of a mega dam at the present site. From the geological, tectonic and seismological points of view, it suggested in its report not to consider the Himalayan foothills, south of the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), for any mega hydro project.
The group also recommended redesigning the project by sufficiently reducing the dam height and production capacity. It alleged that various seismic parameters considered by NHPC Limited for designing the dam were not correct and the dam structure be redesigned to ensure safety and stability.
However, NHPC Limited authorities rejected the observations and claimed that the dam structure is safe and stable.
“Set up technical team”
Faced with stiff opposition that which intensified after the expert group's report, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi impressed upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the Centre or the NHPC Limited set up a “Technical Team” consisting of internationally acclaimed seismologists, experts on river dams to examine the technical parameters for the safety and stability of the dam.
However, the Gogoi government is opposed to the demand for halting the construction work and has adopted a tough stand against agitation programmes aimed at blocking transportation of construction material to the project site.
It constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to hold consultations with the agitating groups and the expert committee. The GoM submitted a report to the Chief Minister and the organisations are demanding that the report be made public.
Well I entirely disagree with c.g.venkatesan and harsh kumar's views. Their views are totally biased and without showing any consideration towards the local people who will be heavily affected by these hydropower projects.They are commenting as such because they have nothing to lose. I mean, absolutely nothing. All they have is to gain. Because they neither know about the state of affairs in the North East nor do they have the least interest to know. I would defer to say anything countering their judgement towards these hydropower projects, but for a minute would like to kindly ask them to put themselves in the shoes of the lakhs of people who will be directly affected by these hydropower projects.And not only people, many floodplains of the brahmaputra valley and the The World's largest island, majuli will have devastating effects. North East India is a very sensitive zone biologically and well as seismologically and they will definitely be very badly affected according to the experts
All those who in favour of the project should shift to places near the
rivers in this seismic zone highly & their mode of earning should be
strictly confirmed to the area. OR
They should let such rampage dangerous project near their ancestral
home where their folks live.
ONLY BY DOING SO, THEIR ARGUMENT WILL JUSTIFY.
This government machinery in this country can not even handle small
disaster like fire. How can it handle disaster by these projects.
It is only a step motherly approach.
Sir, I entirely agree with shri Harsh kumar's view above that the govt shd go ahead speedily with all the Hydro electric projects as they are pollution free and give our nation very cheap electricity once it is completed after heavy capital outlay. If public are suitably educated and apprised of all the facts, opposition to all such pending projects can be overcome and there will be increase in the GDP of our country along with that of North eastern region states.
I really hope that Arunachal Pradesh's power generation plans will not be opposed by China or have the project proponents taken into consideration their projects afecting flow of water into the Brahmaputra basin. It is great news to have these hydroelectric projects for the country and our gren brigade wil not oppose the schemes noting the schemes in Canada, Norway China.
They oppose thermal for higher emission of Green house gases, they
oppose hydro for submergence of ecological area and because of
earthquake prone design, they oppose nuclear for higher radio active
emission , they oppose renewable technology for higher input cost. So
dear Agitators from where you will cater increasing demand of power .
You blame government for lower Industrial growth, frequent power
cut,but never suggest a solution. And as the allegation are made
against Big Dam ,China has built 3 gorge dam of 18000 MW capacity ,
Even In India Naptha Jhakri of 1500 MW of SJVNL is operating
successfully . In last earthquake in Sikkim there was huge loss in
public property but Teesta 5 of NHPC was totally secure. Power house
(Under ground) , the Tunnels , surge Shaft , Dam was 100% safe, and
all emergency systems operated in proper sequence. Doubting the
credibility of Indian Engineers and scientist is a fashion for BA
passed social workers , NGO members.Govt should go ahead 4 Hydro
The agitation against mega Hydel Power Projects example the Tehri dam are used
as avenues for draining money from the govt coffers as opposed to sincere
investigation and validation of the project. Whether the risk to the ecosystem and the seismic activity of the area are low or not. Whether the project is technically sound or not.
There have been events in the past where the project cost has escalated three
folds or more just because the agitators themselves have been corrupt - where
they take money through illicit channels - then let the construction progress for a few months and then one fine day- the agitation restarts. Its like a vicious circle. It has resulted in extrapolation of the project finish date. The Tehri project is not complete as of today . Its been going on since 1972. The frontline activists and the govt representatives alike are to blame for these crimes. I wouldnt be surprised if the same thing has been happening at the sites of Upper Siang or Lower Subhansiri.
Given the high population density mega hydal power projects in India are not very feasible. This is all the more reason India would need to build nuclear power plants in the coming years. Notwithstanding the claims of anti-nuclear power lobby renewable power plants such as solar or wind power lack the scale or consistency to meet the huge power demand of a population exceeding 1.2 billion. An energy deficient country like India is between a rock and a hard place. It has to make judicious choice of lesser of the evils, and for now India has to make do with nuclear power.
Energy hungry India need every source of energy. Thus any complain with
respect to environment will be ignored. That is true.
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