What Changing Climate Has to Do with Dams?
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What changing climate has to do with dams? A case study of proposed Athirappilly Hydro Electric Project, Kerala Ranjith Kavumkara Introduction rights of the downstream users of the river have been severely The history of the Athirappilly Hydro Electric Project (AHEP) ignored. The 2002 Public Hearing Panel had recommended a dates back to1982 when the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) comprehensive downstream impact study and water budgeting proposed a twin project: AHEP and the Poringal Right Bank involving the downstream Panchayaths and Municipalities and Hydro Electric Project in Trissur district of Kerala. Due to severe various governmental departments but the WAPCOS study objections from the forest officials the Poringal Right Bank Hydro limited the downstream impact zone to only 7 km area from the Electric Project was abandoned. The Ministry of Environment and project site. The study argues that the river caters to only two lift Forests (MoEF) rejected the Environmental Clearance for AHEP irrigation schemes (Section 4.4.2). Contrary to their arguments, citing various environmental issues. Since then KSEB has been the CPSS argues that the river has around 700 lift irrigation striving to activate the proposal of building a dam at Athirappilly schemes and 30 odd drinking water schemes including the on the Chalakudy River.1 As per the detailed project report KSEB Thumboormuzhi Major Irrigation Project. Water requirement of submitted to MoEF, Govt. of India, the total installed capacity of these downstream users has been completely ignored in the study. AHEP is 163 MW and the project is supposed to make use of the The actual downstream impact due to drastic flow fluctuations tail end water coming out of the existing Poringalkuthu Hydro- that is likely to take place on a daily basis in the river has been Electric Project which is constructed across the Chalakudy river. cleverly concealed by the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) A 23 meter high dam located at about 3 km downstream of the agency by producing only the monthly cumulative discharge of existing Poringalkuthu left bank power house is envisaged to RBC and LBC of the Chalakudy River Diversion Scheme. divert the water from the Poringalkuthu project as well as from its own catchment of 26 sq.km through a 4,689.50 long tunnel of The River Chalakudy 6.4 diameter. The 132 km long river already has six dams. Five dams constructed in this river namely Parambikulam, Thunacadavu, Opposition from People’s Collectives Peruvarippallam, Tamil Nadu Sholayar and Kerala Sholayar There has been opposition by various environmental groups are part of the historic Parambikulam Aliyar Inter State Inter and people’s collectives ever since the first initiatives of KSEB Basin Water Transfer Treaty, named as the Parambikulam Aliyar in 1980s; prominent among them was the Chalakkudy Puzha Project. This has been in operation since the 1970s. Except for Samrakshana Samiti (CPSS), a voluntary organization of activists the Kerala Sholayar dam, Tamil Nadu owns all the others. The and ecologists. Their arguments were based on the ecological Poringalkuthu Hydro Electric Project was commissioned in 1957 impacts of the project which included impact on the riparian and the Chalakudy River Diversion Scheme (CRDS) in the 1950s. forests on the river bank, elephant migration, fish, avian fauna, The CRDS is presently the main source of drinking and irrigation herpetofauna, etc. Besides these ecological reasons, the CPSS water for at least 22 Grama Panchayaths. A population of about points out various other factors such as losing the splendid view 10 lakhs (28 panchayaths) directly depends on the river. of the Athirappilly waterfalls which attracts around 8-10 lakh Starting from the 19th century, large scale deforestation of local and international tourists every year. Nearly 350 families the catchment forests for timber extraction by the British in of Athirappilly and the Vazhachal Vana Samrakshana Samithi the Parambikulam Plateau (32,000ha), cutting down of forests directly depend on the income from tourism related activities for agricultural plantations like tea, coffee and cardamom in for their livelihood. Hence, commissioning the dam would Nelliyampathy, Malakkapara ranges, industrial plantations be detrimental to the tourism related livelihood of the VSS (16,500ha) like teak monoculture in Parambikulam, Vazhachal communities. forest divisions etc. has caused severe fragmentation of forests CPSS is also concerned about the plight of a Primitive Tribal and degradation of the catchment. The past few years have also Group called the Kadar, a semi nomadic, hunter gatherer witnessed worsening drinking water scarcity in the midlands and community living in the Chalakudy river basin. With less than plains of the river basin in the form of lowering water tables and 2000 individuals remaining, this community has inhabited this saline ingress moving upwards, an indication that the stream flow area for centuries. However, prior to this they were constantly has reduced drastically. Inter basin water transfers, degradation shifted around due to the forest being cleared for plantations and of the catchment of dams and heavy sand mining are also taking submersion of their settlements due to the building of dams. The a toll on the river. Apart from these, sewage from the townships proposed AHEP threatens to displace them from two of their and municipalities along the river banks, pesticides and fertilizers settlements, which are better suited for their gradual transition to applied in the plantations of tea, cardamom etc. in the upstream self-reliant survival than any other existing Kadar settlement. The areas and on paddy and other agricultural lands in the mid lands resources of the forest and the river is key for any from of income. are all problems which permanently threaten the ecosystem and The activists and ecologists also argue that the lower riparian the river’s health. Traditional inland fishermen who have been 45 and saline intrusion were a few other findings the commission cited in the report. According to the commission, dam induced ecological issues are many such as inundation of large biodiversity rich area, severe impact on aquatic biodiversity because of obstruction in species migration and the nutrient cycle, altered flood regimes, emission of greenhouse gases, etc. The social impacts of dams included large-scale displacement, livelihood loss and health issues of the communities. The Parambikulam dam along with five other dams on the Chalakudy river have been constructed at a huge Along with studying these environmental as well as human cost impacts, the commission has exclusively involved in fishing activities for several centuries are tried to understand the extent of consideration given to these losing their livelihoods due to the cumulative effect of all the consequences in decision making. The commission proposed above mentioned threats to the river. a few recommendations and frameworks for decision making. After MoEF denied the permission in 2010, discussions It sets seven priorities for decision making such as (a) Gaining on AHEP almost went into hibernation but the mentioning public acceptance for a development decision, (b) Comprehensive of the project in the report of Western Ghats Ecology Expert options assessment (c) Addressing existing dams, (d) Sustaining Panel2 which is often known as Gadgil Committee, AHEP is rivers and livelihoods, (e) Recognising entitlements and sharing again in the news. The reports of Gadgil Committee and that of benefits, (f )Ensuring compliance, and (g) Sharing Rivers for Kasthurirangan Committee stress the ecological consequences of Peace, Development and Security. (Anon., 2000) AHEP and the Gadgil Committee endorses almost all arguments raised by the environmental groups. Dams and Climate Change WCD has tried to look into the large dam debate through a World Commission on Dams climate change lens too. WCD report warns the world about the It is important to note here that large dams are no longer a possibilities of climate change altering the hydrological regime ‘unanimously agreed upon’ project. The entire world, especially used as a basis for the design of dam spillways. This raises difficult the global south, is recognizing the huge risks associated with large questions about dam safety. This issue is to be seen in connection dams. The hydraulic mission which has been the guiding principle with the hue and cry over the safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam in of large dams is being questioned by various stakeholders of water Kerala. Venturing for another dam in Athirappilly, the Govt. of rather than states and big companies. The World Commission Kerala has to learn lessons from Mullaperiyar particularly in this on Dams (WCD) was formed to research the environmental, context of global climate change. Many climate scientists have the social and economic impacts arising from the construction of opinion that one of the severe consequences of climate change large dams globally. It consisted of members of civil society, will likely be the changes in weather patterns. Kerala is already academia, the private sector, professional associations and one experiencing extreme weather events and an unprecedented government representative. WCD gathered a wide cross section number and intensity of extreme floods and droughts. The of information, experiences and perspectives to unfold the dams’ problem is expected to grow and worsen as the climate warms. story to the public