Assam moves Centre to conduct study

By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, July 17 – The Assam Government is concerned about the possible adverse effects of setting up of hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh and requested the Centre to conduct a detailed study on the cumulative effects that such projects may have in Assam before granting permission to establish such projects. Replying to a question by Brindaban Goswami (AGP), in the State Assembly today, Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi said that the State Government has also requested the Centre to engage experts from Assam in the environmental impact study of the power projects in Arunachal Pradesh as the experts from other parts of the country might not be aware of the local problems.Bordoloi informed the House that according to information available with the State Government, the Arunachal Government has decided to establish more than a hundred hydropower projects. He said that the Arunachal Government is not required to take permission from Assam for setting up such projects, but three agencies of the Central Government would have to give clearance for such projects. He revealed that the Central Water Commission, Central Electricity Authority and the Ministry of Environment and Forest would have to give clearance for setting up of hydropower projects. “We have already asked the Government of India to conduct a detailed survey on the cumulative effects that such projects may cause to Assam in the years to come,” he asserted. He said that the matter was also discussed in a recent meeting of the North East Regional Power Committee and a resolution supporting Assam’s demand was passed in the meeting, which has been forwarded to the Centre.On the issue of effects of release of excess water from the Ranganadi project of the North Eastern Electrical Power Corporation (NEEPCO), Bordoloi said that the State Government has already formed a committee headed by an Additional Chief Secretary to examine the issue. He said that he, along with Water Resources Minister Bharat Chandra Narah recently held a meeting with representatives of different organizations including Central Water Commission, NEEPCO, NHPC etc to discuss the issue. The State Government will also move the Union Water Resources Minister soon to request him for a detailed study on the possible impacts of dam projects by involving the concerned departments.Earlier, raising the question, Brindaban Goswami said that the decision of the Arunachal Pradesh to set up more than 160 dam projects might prove to be disastrous for Assam in the days to come. “The Chief Minister himself admitted that release of excess water from the Ranganadi project of the NEEPCO created havoc in Lakhimpur this year and setting up of new dam projects in seismic zones might pose serious threat to Assam in the days to come,” he added. He also said that the Centre should be asked not to allow such projects without proper study.Cutting across party lines, several other members of the State Assembly also voiced serious concern on the possible implications of setting up of dam projects in Arunachal Pradesh. Bhuban Pegu (Ind), Bhupen Bora (Cong) and Girindra Kumar Baruah (AGP) pointed out that over the years, release of water from the dam projects in Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan caused havoc in Assam and the State Government should take serious note of the issue. source: assam tribune

Dams of danger

Dams of danger

The aggravating flood situation in upper Assam following release of excess water from the Ranganadi hydel project has raised serious questions over the viability of big dams in the region, especially in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra basin in Arunachal Pradesh. Environmental scientists and activists have decried the Centre’s plan to go ahead with as many as 168 large hydro-electric projects in the region on the ground that the basic concerns before initiating such a large-scale intervention on the fragile Himalayan ecology were largely ignored. Indeed, the hurried manner in which the projects are sought to be pushed through without addressing the genuine concerns such as downstream impacts in the form of floods, loss of biodiversity, seismic vulnerability of the region, etc., seems to corroborate the stance of the opponents of big dams. The situation is certainly grave, and calls for a reassessment of the Centre’s hydro-power policy for the North-East. The opposition of the scientific community has been that the projects are being cleared without a thorough study on any of the environmental and social concerns and the downstream impacts. This is valid reasoning and brushing it aside would only jeopardise the lives of thousands of people likely to be affected by the dams. A riparian State like Assam stands to be the worst-hit by the projects, and we have already been victims of dam-induced floods several times in the recent past. Making large-scale intervention on the Himalayan ecology could also lead to catastrophic consequences for its rich biodiversity. The way pristine wildlife habitats are disappearing across the planet, protection of a biodiversity hotspot is a concern of not just the North-East or India but of the entire world. While the proponents of the hydro-power policy would argue that it is the best way to get cheap, non-polluting power so critical for development, the question left unanswered is that the colossal social and environmental costs of these mega dams could effectively negate all the benefits. The circumstances are compelling, and the Assam Government would do well to engage the Centre in a dialogue on the issue before projects are given the nod. Scientific study done by impartial agencies involving top environmental scientists must precede construction of any big hydel project in the North-East. It is a fact that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports of the projects cleared so far have been shoddy and give grossly underestimated presentations of the environmental and socio-economic losses. The Assam Government can no longer afford to sit complacent, and must compel the Centre to intervene in the desired manner. While we say that flood is our biggest problem, the question is – can we allow anything that can worsen it further? Source: assamtribune editorial 24.06.08