Hydel projects in Himalayan states being planned, built without due diligence

By Shankar Sharma

A series of news items in the last few days, which have focused on the floods and droughts associated with the weather events across China, Pakistan, Europe, and India, have highlighted some of the risks and costs to the global communities from the weather uncertainties.

As a summary, it can be stated with certainty that the rainfall pattern will more than likely not follow any regular pattern, and the inflows in a river, especially into dams, will be an issue of serious concerns in the overall management of the dams related issues, and of water availability to the dependent communities. As a corollary, the operation of hydel power stations will be subjected to a lot more uncertainties than previously unknown so far, which makes it a lot more difficult in the management of electricity generation from such power stations. Hence, it should become evidently clear that to rely more on hydel power in the changed climate conditions, will not only be risky for the overall management of the power system, but will be a lot more costly and risky to the local communities.

In this larger context, it should have become obvious to our policy makers to desist from building more of such dam based hydel power plants. But many additional hydel projects in Himalayan states, such as the one in Dungarin Himachal, are being planned and built in our country without due diligence, and without taking such credible risks into objective account, even though they are not essential to out power system management, and are of unacceptably high societal costs. It will be hard to estimate the consequences of costs and risks to the project impacted communities and to the country as a whole, it suffice to say that they will be massive as compared to the meager benefits, especially in the context that new and renewable electricity sources such as solar and wind power along with energy storage battery systems are not only eminently suitable but are of least cost to the society.

Those of us who are working to preserve rivers, from across the country should consider coming together and start arguing against the very need for hydel power plants in view of the better alternatives such as Solar, wind biomass, and energy storage batteries. At the ongoing pace of adding hydel power plants, we may not be left with any free flowing river stretch soon, which can only mean unimaginable consequences to our people. People familiar with the costs and benefits of hydel power plants, can provide many credible arguments in this context.

In this larger context, multiple dam based hydel projects being planned in Karnataka should be of serious concern to its people.

---

*Power & Climate Policy Analyst based in Karnataka

Comments

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

The golden crop: How turmeric is transforming women's lives in tribal India

By Vikas Meshram* When the lush green fields of turmeric sway in the tribal belt of southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it is not merely a spice crop — it is the golden glow of self-reliance. In villages where even basic spices once had to be bought from the market, the very soil today is yielding a prosperity that has transformed the lives of thousands of families. At the heart of this transformation is the initiative of Vaagdhara, which has linked turmeric with livelihoods, nutrition, and village self-governance — gram swaraj.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Beyond the election manifesto: Why climate is now a kitchen table issue

By Vikas Meshram* March has long been a month of gentle transition, the period when winter softly retreats and a mild warmth signals nature’s renewal. Yet, in recent years, this dependable rhythm has been disrupted. This year, since the beginning of March, temperatures across vast swathes of the country have shattered previous records, soaring to between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. This is not a mere fluctuation in the weather; it is a serious and alarming indicator of climate change .

As India logs historic emissions drop, expert warns govt against 'policy blunders'

By A Representative In a significant development that underscores the rapid transformation of India's energy landscape, new data reveals the country recorded its largest drop in power sector emissions in 2025. However, a top power sector analyst has urged the Union Government to view this "silver lining" as a stark warning against continuing to invest in new coal, large hydro, and nuclear projects, which he argues could become "redundant" stranded assets.

The selective memory of a violent city: Uttam Nagar and the invisible victims of Delhi

By Sunil Kumar* Hundreds of murders take place in Delhi every year, yet only a few incidents become topics of nationwide discussion. The question is: why does this happen? Today, the incident in Uttam Nagar has become the centre of national debate. A 26-year-old man, Tarun Kumar, was killed following a dispute that reportedly began after a balloon hit a small child. In several colonies of Delhi, slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” are being raised while demanding the death penalty for Tarun’s killers. As a result, nearly 50,000 residents of Hastsal JJ Colony are now living in what resembles a state of confinement.

NGO Arunoday’s journey of support and struggle: Standing firm with the distressed

By Bharat Dogra It was a situation of acute distress. Nearly ten thousand people returning to their villages during the COVID-19 pandemic had gathered at the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh near Kanha. Exhausted after walking long distances with little or no food, they were desperate for relief. Yet entry could not be granted without completing essential records and complying with pandemic rules.

How wars are undermining climate promises even as accelerating global warming

By N.S. Venkataraman* Since 1995, global climate conferences have convened annually, with the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) held in November 2024. These gatherings attract world leaders and generate extensive media coverage, raising hopes of decisive strategies to address the climate emergency. Yet, despite lofty promises and ambitious targets, the crisis remains unabated.

Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque under siege: A test of Muslim solidarity and Palestine’s future

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* In the cacophony of Israel’s and the United States’ attack on Iran, one piece of news has been buried under the debris of war: Israel has closed the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to Palestinian worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan. The closure, announced as indefinite, affects the third most revered mosque in the Islamic world.

Search This Blog