This highlights Disasters, accidents, corruptions and violations taking place in hydro power projects across India in 2020 mostly as reported by media.
Continue reading “India Hydro Power Projects 2020: Violations, Accidents and Corruption”
EAC and FAC Decisions on Hydro Projects during 2020
(Feature image: Yamuna river at Lakhwar dam site, April 2019. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP)
Details of proposals related to hydro power projects discussed by Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley Projects during Dec 2019-Feb. 2021
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DRP 010321: Actions speak louder than words on PM’s appeal for water, river conservation
In his #MannKiBaat on Feb 28, 2021, India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi appealed to people to conserve our Rivers, Water, referring to Magh Purnima on Feb 27 2021 and Sant Ravi Das teachings. He also said that India’s traditions, festivals, scriptures, etc have so much place for rivers, also mentioning the Kumbh mela this year at Haridwar. He mentioned that a 100 day campaign will be launched soon by the Jal Shakti Ministry for rainwater harvesting. He gave several examples from across the country where individuals and groups have taken up such words.
All that sounds fine and welcome. But the trouble is that his all-powerful government is working consistently and with increasing intensity towards opposite direction. This very week his Power Minister expressed ignorance if hydropower projects have any environmental adverse impact, right in the face of destruction wrought by the hydropower projects in Chamoli disaster in Uttarakhand on Feb 7, 2021. Why is the Union Government still pushing hydropower projects which are no longer even economically viable, they never were environmentally sustainable or socially acceptable.
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District wise Winter 2021 Rainfall in India
In the just concluded Winter Season (Jan 1 2021 to Feb 28 2021), as per India Meteorological Department (IMD), India received 32% below Normal Rainfall. The Normal rainfall in this two-month season is supposed to be quite low at 40.8 mm, but the actual rainfall was just 27.8 mm, which means rainfall was less than 0.5 mm per day in the season. Out of this the Rainfall in January 2021 was 20.2 mm, 17% above the normal rainfall of 17.3 mm. So in February 2021, the rainfall was 7.6 mm, against the normal rainfall of 23.5 mm, so the February rainfall was 68% below normal!
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Rishiganga HEP: A foretold disaster for River, People and Chipko legacy
The February 7 2021 Chamoli deluge has completely destroyed Rishiganga Hydro Electric Project (HEP). The 13.2 MW run of the river project has also become graveyard for over 50 innocent workers and villagers. The damages to homes, bridges, forest and river eco-system is additional which cannot be restored easily.
In fact, the disaster is among the threats against which experts and locals had been warning the authorities time and again. Sadly, the past history of struggle and destruction shows that not only the state government but the judiciary also failed miserably to address the pleas of locals and assess the disaster risks in a timely manner.
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Forget ILR pipedream, let us pray for smaller places of worship
Consider some basic facts: A specialized agency, National Water Development Agency (NWDA), was set up four decades ago to work only on Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) projects, but even first project of the grand ILR plan is yet to take off to implementation as envisaged in ILR plan. In fact, NWDA is not confident of putting any of the thousands of reports produced by it in public domain, it knows they won’t stand to public scrutiny.
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Force Multipliers in Uttarakhand disaster
Given below if the text of the presentation made by SANDRP coordinator on Day 1 at the FICCI-NIDM (NIDM: National Institute of Disaster Management; FICCI: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) 3-day training program on Feb 18-20, 2021 on “Resilient Infrastructure in Hilly Areas: Avalanche, GLOF & Debris Flow” in the context of the Chamoli Disaster of Feb 7, 2021.
Continue reading “Force Multipliers in Uttarakhand disaster”DRP 220221: Case against NTPC for criminal negligence in Tapovan Project?
Consider these facts: The NTPC, the project developer, failed to appraise that the 520 MW Tapovan Vishnugad Hydropower project, where maximum damage and deaths occurred in Chamoli Avalanche disaster that started on Feb 7, 2021 morning, is in Paraglacial influence zone. Such an appraisal would have meant a number of implications, including possibly a decision that the project is geologically unviable.
NTPC failed to take any action to save the workers even after it was known upto 10-20 minutes before the disaster struck. Something that Mangshri Devi could do to save about 25 lives, NTPC could not do.
The project had faced several disasters since 2008, but fails to put in early warning system in place. For several days post disaster, reports say that NTPC failed to share even the detailed map of the tunnel where over 30 workers were stuck. NTPC’s disaster management system showed no signs of existence throughout the disaster. Reports say that the barrage gates were closed, which if they were open, it may have helped the flow of the flood debris downstream, which in turn could have possibly meant more time and saving of more lives.
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Tapovan Vishnugad HPP: delays, damages and destructions
(Feature image of rescue operations at Tapovan Vishnugad barrage following Feb. 7, 2021 deluge in Dhauliganga river, Chamoli. PTI Photo/Arun Sharma)
The tragic Chamoli flash flood episode has become latest and one of most vivid examples of how hydro power projects (HPP) are a recipe for disaster in geologically delicate and climatically sensitive regions of Himalaya.
Even 10 days after the deluge the Alaknanda Basin Rivers are following with muddier water. Death toll is mounting. The immense damages to infrastructure including roads, bridges, homes and hydro projects is still to be fully assessed.
The catastrophic event has offered authorities many valuable lessons: not to be blind to the preventable disasters the hydro projects are inviting frequently.
Initial findings have established that the reason behind the flash flood was detachment of snow and rocks. The fact that the hydro projects and other man made mistakes have led to most human casualties and financial losses is undisputable.
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चमोली आपदा: माँ के फोन कॉल्स से बच गई 25 जिंदगियां
फरवरी 7 को चमोली में आई विकराल बाढ़ अपने पीछे भीषण तबाही के निशान के साथ कुछ अहम सबक भी छोड़ गई है जो भविष्य में आपदा प्रबंधन को बेहतर बनाने में बहुत कारगार साबित हो सकते हैं।
ऐसा ही एक असंभव किस्सा स्थानीय महिला मंगसीरी देवी का है जिनका 27 साल का लड़का विपुल कैरेनी एनटीपीसी की तपोवन विष्णुगाड जल विद्युत परियोजना में कार्यरत है।
घटना के दिन विपुल की माँ मंगसीरी और पत्नी अनीता ने ऊचाई पर स्थित अपने गांव ढ़ाक से धौलीगंगा नदी में आई जलप्रलय को देखा। उसके बाद उसने अपने बेटे को कई बार फोन किया जिसके कारण उनके बेटे समेत 25 अन्य लोगों का जीवन बच गया।
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SANDRP 