PANOS – Kalpavriksh Media Dialogue, Guwahati, September 1st – 2nd, 2008

Large dams, hydropower and the Northeast

The Northeast has been referred to as India’s ‘future powerhouse’ with 168 large hydropower projects for generating 63,000 MW planned in the region. Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim lead the hydropower pack with a blitzkrieg of agreements (MoUs) signed with developers in the last three years. Union Minister of State for Power, Jairam Ramesh, recently referred to this phenomenon as a ‘MOU virus.’ The large dams’ juggernaut promises to be the biggest ‘development’ intervention in the ecologically and geologically fragile, seismically active and culturally sensitive landscape of the Northeast in the days to come. Even as some state governments look to earning huge revenues from power export in the near future, the region is witnessing major anti-dam protests.

The latest trigger for these protests is the alleged aggravation of floods in downstream areas in Assam due to release of waters from the 405 MW Ranganadi hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh. Irrespective of what exactly emerges from the ongoing inquiry into the role of the Ranganadi hydro project in the June 2008 floods, the debate has brought into sharp focus issues such as ‘dam-induced floods’ which have been a reality across the country over the years. The larger debate on downstream impacts of dams has also become centre stage as people express concern about issues such as loss of fisheries, changes in beel (wetland) ecology in the flood plains and increased flood vulnerability due to massive boulder extraction from river beds. But current norms prescribed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and its expert committees ask project developers to restrict their impact assessment studies to 10 km. downstream of a project.

Over the past year Arunachal Pradesh too has seen civil society groups raise serious concerns about the agreements signed with various hydropower developers and the cumulative social and environmental impacts of these proposed projects in upstream and downstream areas. A major concern raised in states like Arunachal and Sikkim, is the likely demographic and socio-cultural upheaval due to the influx of large labour populations from outside for long periods for the construction of multiple mega hydel projects in areas which have small populations of indigenous communities. There was furore in the Dibang valley earlier this year as the foundation stone of the 3000 MW Dibang Multipurpose project was laid on January 31st by Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, before the completion of the entire public consultation process and receipt of mandatory clearances from the MoEF. Dibang valley residents protesting against a ‘cosmetic’ public hearing planned in March this year blocked a highway leading to the cancellation of the public hearing. States like Meghalaya, Manipur and Sikkim have also witnessed protests on different aspects of hydropower development in their states. In June 2008 the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) completed a year of their Satyagraha against Gangtok’s plans to build around 30 large hydel projects in Sikkim, while groups in Manipur have continued their long standing campaign against projects such as the 1500 MW Tipaimukh project. Under increasing public pressure, the state governments of Sikkim and Meghalaya have cancelled some of the agreements signed with private power developers recently.

The debate on large dams in Northeast India is currently poised at a critical juncture. One of the key players in shaping this debate has been the regional media in the Northeast. The purpose of this media dialogue on dams in Northeast India is to help discuss and debate some of the specific issues which will influence the discourse in the coming days. Some of the issues which will get discussed over the two days are:

 National level power planning – Existing approach and alternatives  India’s experience in large dam building  The politics of environmental governance  Private sector role in hydropower development  Dams and floods  Dams, development and conflict  Dams and finance