Dams have had serious impacts on the lives, livelihoods, culture and spiritual existence of indigenous, tribal and illiterate people, and on the physical environmental conditions and biodiversity. As far as the dam related developmental activities in Himachal Himalayas are concerned, they got momentum during 5th five year plan and at present there are more than 400 power projects in five perennial river basins spread over 55,673 sq. km geographical area. Every basin is being excessively exploited which has a considerable impact on environment and threatening the lives and livelihood of the mountain inhabitants by creating ecological imbalance. The present article is based on the primary research carried out in Ravi basin. There are more than 50 rivulets in the Ravi catchment which have been earmarked for the planned development. At present, more than 80 power projects are either proposed or generating electricity. Speaking specifically, series of power projects i.e. Shahpur Kandi (125 MW), Thein Dam (600MW), Baira-Suil (198), Chamera-I (540MW) and Chamera-II (300 MW) on ravi basin have unintentionally produced weather and climate changes on a larger scale and threatening the existing biodiversity and sources of livelihood by interfering with the ecosystem. These activities have started way back in 1980s with the installation of BairaSuil Power Project and today it has covered almost whole basin starting from inter-state border of Jammu & Kashmir and spreading to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh which has engulfed the green cover of the area. More than 100 km reservoirs and 25 km dried patches are responsible for tremendous increase in the temperature, untimely and unusual rain in the basin after the installation of power projects.
In the present article, the responsibility of hydroelectric power projects for threatening the livelihood will be analyzed, which is based on original micro field research carried out in the lower Himalayan Region by using exploratory and descriptive method. To analyse the impacts on climatic conditions and its consequences on ecosystem services and livelihood, metrological data of Ravi basin from 1984 to 2004 have been used and the article will also report the viewpoint of the respondents belonging to different age groups.
Throughout human history natural resources have been exploited to sustain growing human populations. Over the last few decades, rising economic growth rates in most developing countries have contributed to increasing levels of exploitation of natural resources and environment degradation, which unchecked could have detrimental effects on future growth patterns.
Environmental degradation as a consequence of resource exploitation is a global phenomenon which is evident from the increasing levels of deforestation, polluted water, air and land resources. According to the United Nations report, 1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water; net deforestation rates have fallen since 1990-2000, but some 13 million hectares of the world’s forests are still losing each year; carbon dioxide, one of the major greenhouse gases that contributes to the global warming phenomenon, is 27% which is higher than at any point in thelast 650,000 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could reach 450-550 ppm by 2050.
In the modern times because of imminent challenges to our environment, natural resource management; along with conservation, restoration of environment is becoming a central topic in the development planning objectives of every developmental project.
As far as the natural resources in Indian subcontinents are concerned, they are available in abundance, particular in form of sources of energy, which are being used enormously for all sorts of power generation.
In the present developing state of country’s economy, there is a great requirement of electrical power for both industrial and agricultural use. The power requirement during March-April ’03 for Northern Region was 156,610 MU (million units) against the availability of 144,218 MU.
Thus, there was a deficit of 7.9%. As per the anticipated power supply position in 2006-07 (10th plan), this deficit will increase in future even after accounting the contribution of the upcoming power projects in the northern region. As per this report, in the year 2006-07, total energy and peak energy demands in the northern region shall be 220,820 MU and 355,540 MU against availability of 181,468 MU and 29,667 MU respectively. Thus, there shall be deficit of 17.8% and 16.5% for total energy and peak energy respectively, in the northern region. These deficit figures for all India are 12.9% and 12.3% respectively. Further, the Report of the Group on Power for 10th Plan estimated the need based capacity addition of 62,213 MW during 11th Plan. Thus, it is necessary to commission projects to generate power to bridge the ever-increasing gap in demand and supply scenario.
To bridge up this gap Govt. of India has launched a massive plan known as “Mission-2012, Power for All”, under which 50,000 MW hydroelectric power is to be added in the existing generation capacity. Out of estimated potential capacity of 1, 50,000 MW, only 15 per cent has been commissioned so far and 7 per cent is on the way of its commissioning.
The installations of power projects in the river basins have definitely detrimental effects on the bio-diversity as well as on the climatic conditions of the area concerned. Moreover it has definitely a vital role to play to change the environmental conditions of the area concerned where such types of activities have been installed.
The present article is based on the first hand information by using descriptive research design and using convenient sampling technique in the Ravi basin of Himachal Pradesh as well as some secondary information. To see its impacts at minute level, three commissioned power projects installed by NHPC in Ravi basin have been studied.
Through this article, an attempt has been made by the researcher to highlight the role of these commissioned power projects in the climate change in the catchment area at micro level and in the whole region at macro level. The article is further important because the first power project was commissioned way back in 1990s, second in 2000s and third was recently commissioned in 2003, and ill effects as well as impacts of these power projects are visible and have been analyzed.
Hydroelectric power development in Himachal Pradesh has got top priority from sixth five year plan i.e., 1980-85 onwards. During tenth five year plan i.e., 2002-2007 besides completing the ongoing projects as early as possible, the state government has prepared an ambitious plan to accelerate hydro power generation of identified potential capacity of 25,000 MW.
Ravi has total catchment area of 5,451 sq. kilometers and 154 sq. km in Himachal Pradesh. This basin lies between the PirPanjal and Dhauladhar ranges of lower Himalayas. The potential capacity of Ravi has been assessed 2301.5 MW; out of which 1038.5 MW has been commissioned so far through four commissioned power projects in Chamba district i.e. Bairasuil (198 MW), Chamera-I (540 MW), Chamera-II (300 MW). In other words it can be stated that this basin has been excessively targeted (table 1) for the hydroelectric power development since 1980s with the installation of NHPC’s first hydroelectric power generation plant with the name of BairaSuil Hydroelectric power project. After this power project Chamera series of projects have been started. In 1990s Chamera stage–I and in 2000s Chamera-II, and Chamera-III have contributed considerably and change the ecology and climatic conditions of the whole basin. Along with these, this basin has experienced a major jolt of development named as Thein Dam, which situated at the border of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. A number of power projects in Ravi basin either installed or proposed to be installed. The following table is presenting a clear picture of such of developmental activities in Ravi basin:
The catchments area of Ravi basin is experiencing drastic climatic changes, because of 100 kilometers reservoirs of Shahpur Kandi (125 MW), Thein Dam (600 MW, with Catchment area of 6086 sq. km & reservoir of 87 sq. km), Chamera-I (540 MW) and Chamera-II (300 MW); and tunnelization of Ravi in 19.38 kms with a dia of 7 to 9 meters and 102 meters high surg shafts with 15.5 meters dia and underground power houses of Chamera-I (89x22x42 meters) and Chamera-II and dry Ravi in almost all its natural route (27 kilometers in Chamera I and Chamera-II). And upcoming Chamera-III with a head race tunnel of 19.98 kms with 7 metres dia and which would led Ravi to be dried at a stretch of 35 kms, affecting the lives of thousands of people living in the downstream as well as of the flora and wild animal; broadly can be called as bio-diversity.
On the basis of above citation it can be stated that the installation of power projects in Ravi basin are largely responsible for the climatic changes, unseasonal rain, recent cloudburst in Sarol and Rajpura village, just 1/2 kilometer away from the top head of the Chamera-I reservoir, dry Ravi, large water body of 32.6 kilometer, underground blasting which has dried all vegetative cover and natural sources of water, above all tunnelization of Ravi (19.38 kilometer) are some areas of major concern which are disturbing the people of the area, therefore, people are not satisfied with the installation of power projects. The executing agency is claiming the restoration of affected vegetation cover, by planting compensatory forest in the catchment area, but today not a single tree is visible.
Because of which the dry portion of the catchment is experiencing extreme hot on the one hand and the vegetative cover situated over the HRTs, TRTs, edits, underground power houses, shrug shafts is drying and dying on the other.
People feel concerned about the environmental hazards in form of earthquakes, in the most geologically weak region, Chamba falls in seismic zone V, which is the most sensitive zone, they think that trespass in nature to this extent may be resulted into havoc consequences anytime. The whole catchment area has experienced unusaual and infrequent rain fall after the installation of these power projects, which led to the problem of low crop production and aggravate the existing poverty in the area. The following table is highlighting the amount of decadal rainfall (1996-2006).
As it is clear from the above table that the area has experienced drastic fluctuations in the climatic conditions particularly in the rainfall, which led to numerous problems. The total number of rainfall in a particular year has experienced a fluctuations in 1996 it was 1054 mililitres (ml), goes upward in 1997 to 1103 ml while again in 1998 it goes up to one ml while in 1999 it goes down to 826 ml and again in 2000 it arose to 1706 ml, in 2001 it again goes down to 1275 ml and remain continuously down in the next year to 1187 ml. The area has experienced 1298 ml rainfall in the year 2003 and in the next year it goes down to 1157 ml. The rainfall has gained upward mobility from 1157 ml to 1174 ml in the year 2005 and remained continue and touched 1245 ml point in 2006.
On the basis of above description it can be stated that during the course of past ten years the climatic conditions of the area had experienced a lot of weather jolts. Along with this it is also stated that the whole has undergone many geological and metrological changes. The area experienced many minor earthquakes jolts and newly erupted phenomena of cloud burst and unusual rain in this span of ten years, these all are the signs of climate changes, which has increased after the installation of power projects.
The number of days of the rain in a year has also experienced a lot of ups and down. Number of days of rain remained between 44 days in a year to 76 days in the year from 1996 to 2000. In the second half of the data i.e., the number of days of the rain remained between the range of 77 days and 149 days in a year. In other words it can be stated that the number of days of rain has not remained the same in some cases. It was 44 days and in the other cases it goes to the maximum level of 149 days in a year, which is of serious concerns. To a sizeable extent it can be stated that the first five years can be called as the geological and climatic settlement period. In this period these settlements have been taken place and in the second half of the data i.e. from 2000-2006 indicated that the settled period, in which all settlements have been settled but the load of water of 29 kilometers long and 143 metres high dam is a matter of serious concern and is responsible for the changing environmental conditions in the area.
Maximum rainfall in a day has also experienced a lot of mobility. In the year 1996 it was 373 ml which has decreased up to 344 ml in the next year and again goes up to 552 ml in 1998 and again goes down to 460 ml in 1999 and this trend remained continued in the next year and reach up to 425 ml. In the year 2001 the area experienced maximum rainfall in a day up to 462 ml and decreased down to 300 ml in the next year then arose up again to 420 ml in the year 2003, in the next year it goes up to 465 ml and surprisingly in the next year it goes down to 247 ml and in 2006 it experienced a little bit upward mobility up to 369 ml.
As it is evident from the above discussion that there are lot of fluctuations in the number of days of rainfall in a year has been received by the area.
Due to the upheaval in the local environment the climatic conditions of the area have been changed to a greater extent after the installation of power projects.
Ecological concerns in power projects- need to be addressed
Ecological simply means concerns related to ecology and ecology on the basis of existing literature can be defined as interactive relationship between living organism and environment.
Man needs development for better livelihood options and wherever such developmental initiative have been planned it affects environment (sum total of biotic and abiotic components) and this triangular relationship has a fundamental role to play in delicate interactive web.
Installation of power projects to produce energy for the development have many ecological concerns, which are affecting physical environment as well as interactive relationship between human beings who are either living in the vicinity of power projects or people who are using it at hundreds of kms away.
Physical environment
The physical environment has been affected by the carving and construction activities for Head Race Tunnels (HRTs), Tail Race Tunnels (TRTs), edits, shrug shafts, underground power houses, pressure shaft and allied construction related activities. The road, which approached the Suil Weir from Dhargala to Suil Weir via Baroti, from Surangani to powerhouse, from Nakrore to Baira Weir has been constructed in BairaSuil hydel electric power project. Along with these construction of roads, the existing road Chamba-Salooni, Chamba-Surangani, Chamba-Tissa roads have been widened, undoubtly the widening of roads has made a good contribution but the physical environment has badly been affected and furthermore the conditions of these roads has become worst as the projects are over. In Chamera-I road from Barangal to Dandi, Khairi to pressure shaft over underground powerhouse, Chohra via- pass has been constructed. In Chamera –II from Rajera to Jarangala via Gagla, from Rakh to Gurad, which is proposed to be extend up to Bindla village then to Lihal village near under-ground powerhouse of under construction Chamera-III. In this regard it is worthy to be mentioned here that all the construction of roads are just to have access to the sites of construction of the projects.
Seismicity
The Ravi catchment area falls in seismic zone V. The geological composition of this area comprises rocks and other components are in formation stage. Such types of hydel electric power developments in the geologically weak zone are not desirable.
As accepted by NHPC, the area of BairaSuil, Chamera-I and Chamera-II are geologically weak. After the installation of power projects in this area the possibility of earthquake has been increased manifold. The World Commission on Dams (2000) in his report has also expressed the possibility of earthquakes measuring 3 to 3.5 Richter scale in the reservoirs as a routine phenomenon. In 2005, after the commissioning of chamera-II, a number of mild earthquake jolts of 3.7 to 4.8 Richter scale have been experienced in Chamba. The earthquake of 1995 measuring 5.4 Richter scale immediately after the commissioning of Chamera-I in 1994 was the first retaliation of the nature with its epicenter at Kiani village, which is situated at the endpoint of 19-kilometer (Ravi side) reservoir of the Chamera-I. Along with earthquakes, the whole area has also experienced the newly erupted phenomena of cloudburst. The cloudburst is happening almost every year and is responsible for the loss of property in form of fertile soil, trees and other forest commodities.
So, it is submitted with conviction that such types of developmental activities are not desirable as well as viable especially in Seismic Zone V.
The Ravi basin is being harnessed very badly from Madhopur to Bharmour (table; 1). Now, the policy makers of state as well as national level must think judiciously before granting permission to install such hydroelectric power projects.
Final comments
The researcher is not against the installation of power projects, but these must be eco-friendly and sustainable in nature and there must be sustainable improvement of human welfare. This means a significant advancement of human development, which is economically viable, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable. If the dams are the best way to achieve this goal, then deserve the full support of the researcher.
The local issues must be taken into consideration properly and with true spirit, not in paper and must not be engulfed by the red tapism of the Indian bureaucracy.
The policies should be framed by visiting local sites and taking local issues into consideration. Before sanctioning any other power project for Ravi basin the World Commission on Dams recommendations must be taken into consideration, which has stressed four fundamental values regarding the dam building, these are; equity, efficiency, participatory decision-making, sustainability and accountability. We all the travelers of one spaceship earth, any trespass even in the name of development may have detrimental effect.
One thing must be kept in mind that everything can be generated but water cannot. Once it is lost it will be lost forever, it cannot be generated. So, the need of the hour is to use this wonderful gift of god to meet our need not our greed. We must keep ourselves away from the natural cycle of the water – and should not disturb it in the name of so called development. We must keep in mind that nature can live without man but man cannot.
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