Dam construction needs to be considered carefully

Editor,

Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that Arunachal Pradesh has signed agreements with the NHPC, NEEPCO, THDCIL and SJVN to develop 13 hydropower projects with a combined capacity of over 11,000 mw. Once completed, these projects are expected to generate substantial revenue for the state.

Yes, hydropower projects can indeed generate considerable revenue and also enable Arunachal to grow its economy rapidly. However, the fact is that Arunachal is ecologically rich and fragile.

Take the 405 mw Ranganadi Hydro Electric Project Stage I as an example. The project was put into operation in 2002. Villagers in Upper Cher village (Papum Pare district), downstream of RHEP said, “After the completion of the dam, water flows in the river have gone down drastically. Our fish are totally gone. Earlier even outsiders used to come here to fish; now there is no fish even for us. Our fields are also affected badly as the channels we had made to take water to the fields have become dry. Horticulture, which is a very important source of livelihood for our village and includes banana, oranges, pineapple and spices like black pepper and cardamom, has almost finished along the river banks.”

Arunachal is preparing to develop 13 hydropower projects. Once construction of these projects begin, the livelihoods of the villages downstream of the projects will be severely affected, while thousands of hectares of land and forests will be encroached.

Various activities, such as habitat loss, deforestation, logging and overexploitation have exacerbated the impact of climate change on the biodiversity. Villages that are relocated due to the project will share land with residents of other villages no matter where they move to, which will lead to conflicts over basic rights such as land, education, and community subsidies. At the same time, the large amount of waste generated during the dam construction process will cause serious pollution, whether it is dumped on the surrounding land or in the river. A series of impacts are closely linked, and many factors should be considered before constructing dams, as irreversible losses cannot be compensated by temporary economic benefits.

Tana Likha