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Mohinder Slariya,
Sociology Teacher, Government PG College Chamba |
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Ravi Dances to the Tune of NHPC:
A Study of NHPC Owned Power Projects
We, operating at a supposedly national level, tend to ignore small town crusaders and thinkers. But you can't overlook Mohinder Slariya. As he critiques hydro electric projects in the Chamba valley, he carries forward a postcolonial discourse on development and displacement. Backing his arguments with field statistics, he establishes gains of power projects are too little, even those confined to apparently Project Affected Families marked in government muster. Clearly, majority of the affected people fall outside the musters.
Nothing new though. We have heard these before; several activists have touched upon this issue. What makes Mohinder different is that his voice comes not from capital cities or metros but from one of the remotest districts of India-Chamba. It's a learning experience to share the concerns of remote districts of the country.
Mohinder teaches sociology at the Government PG College Chamba. He is an expert at the environment issues of Himachal Pradesh.
Water is a critical resource for human survival, economic development and ecological balance. Hardly any other natural resource affects so many areas of human life—health, environment, human rights, economy & prosperity. Rivers and water resources have impacted Indian civilization since ages. With time, apart from irrigation, man has exploited this natural resource to generate electricity. With growing power demand, hydro electricity has become one of the cornerstones of modern society.
In this context operates Prime Minister Initiative of 50,000 MW hydroelectric power generations by 2012.
Water in Himachal
Chamera-I Dam
Water is available in abundance in slopes of the Himalaya and has been widely used for electricity generation. Himachal Pradesh has hydro power potential of 25,000 MW through its five perennial river basins. Due to financial crunch, the State Government has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Central Government approved executing agency National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) & several private executing agencies to exploit huge hydel electric potential of the state.
NHPC has played a vital role in execution and development of hydro power in Himachal Pradesh. Baira Suil Hydel Electric Power Project of 198 MW in 1980s, Chamera-I of 540 MW in 1994 & Chamera-II of 300 MW in the upstream of Chamera-I in 2004- all in Chamba district. Sewa-I, Sewa-II projects at the border of Chamba district in Jammu & Kashmir, on the last tributary of the Ravi and Parvati-I, Parvati-II in Kullu district are the landmark projects in power generation.
NHPC was granted the status of Public Limited Company in 1976 after the commissioning of Baira Suil hydel electric power project of 198 MW. Today it is amongst the best executing agency in the world. It has ISO 9001 Certificate for its quality work, 14001 for Environmental Protection and a couple of other awards for its excellence in execution.
Notably, an executing agency of any power project is expected to play a vital role in the socio-economic upliftment of the area concerned. The environmental aspect of these power projects is taken care by implementing Catchment Area Treatment Plan (CAT) and Environmental Protection Plan (EPP).
However, in Himachal Pradesh local issues remain unresolved. Issues of displacement, rehabilitation, submergence of area (villages), impact on environment, disturbing the ecology and interactive relationship between living organism and environment have remained untouched.
Displaced & Deve
Flood in Ravi- soil erosion at a grand scale
Take Rehabilitation and Resettlement Plan (R&R Plan). The MoU signed by executing agencies with the Government of Himachal Pradesh stresses to give maximum employment (70%) to the locals in any power project. But, only 24 per cent of the Himachal Pradesh residents received employment(Amar Ujala, 2006) in such projects. Those who received employment are project affected, displaced or partially affected and not the locals of the area concerned. Even affected people received very little employment, that too, after the intervention of the High Court. The World Commission on Dams (2005) reports 70 per cent of the displaced people by dam related activities in India have not been rehabilitated till date. The incomplete rehabilitation of Bhakra and Pong dams' displaced even after four decades of their execution is an evidence of poor execution of the R&R related policies of government.
Same is the case with the displaced of Chamera-I and II in Ravi basin. At Chamera-I only 792 out of 1554 displaced families received employment in lieu of their sacrifices.
Another important fact of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been ignored by the executing agency that 10% of the available water (later on decided by the government of Himachal Pradesh to be 15%) must be released to sustain aquatic life in the downstream. At Chamera-I, there is little water in Ravi from dam site up to Tail Race Tunnel (TRT) at Simalieu, Khairi- for distance of around 12 kilometers-,which has affected the flora, fauna and aquatic life in the downstream at large. At Chamera-II, Ravi turns dry from Bagga (dam site) to Karian (TRT) for around 15 kilometers. Even below Karian (TRT) to Udaipur village-around 29 kilometers- water in Ravi is noticed sporadically, particularly in the dry season. Further down stream of Chamera-I, Ravi again has been converted into a lake of Ranjeet Sagar Power Project of 600 MW (Thein dam). Shahpur Kandi power project further disrupts it.
Clearly, the natural route of Ravi, natural habitation of aquatic life and vegetation, and other flora fauna have been badly disturbed in its basin. Once a large water body & abode for variety of life forms, Ravi has become a small lake today- a site for various water-borne diseases and health hazards.
Quake Tremors
Chamera-I man made lake endangering local rocks & increasing the possiblity of earth quake
Entire Chamba district & Ravi basin falls in the most sensitive seismic zone-Zone V. The possibility of earthquakes in this zone is highest. The reservoirs of Thein Dam, Chamera-I, Chamera-II, construction activities at Baira Suil Hydel Electric Power Project and upcoming Chamera-III-all lie in quake prone area, enough to create havoc any time in the region.
The rocks in this region are still in formation stage and sedimentary in nature, making this area highly fragile, a fact, supported by renowned geologist Dr Watson & accepted even by NHPC. The cracks and layers of sedimentary and stratified rocks are not able to bear the unprecedented load of such huge water bodies. World Commission on Dams (WCD, 2000) has stated that earthquakes of 3 to 3.5 Richter scale in the area are regular phenomena. The area experiences lots of mild and severe jolts. The 1994 earthquake of 5.6 Richter scale with epicenter at Kiani village, where reservoir ends, was a signal of catastrophe in the region. True, the dams constructed by the executing agencies are earthquake proof-as claimed by NHPC-but, local people also live in the vicinity of reservoirs. Their lives, houses and belongings are, certainly, not quake proof.
Project Perils
Ravi without water at Parel, 11 km from TRT
India is a country of big, as Arundhati Roy says- big ideology, big dams and big decisions at national level, but locals, their issues and concerns have always remained unheard and unresolved. These locals can be divided into two categories: one, whose land, homestead and life are affected by these developmental activities and they are entitled to the status of Project Affected People (PAPs). They are included in the R&R Plan, received compensation and are entitled to all benefits including employment.
The other category of local people is of those who do not fall in the category of PAPs. The records of executing agency do not find their homestead, land, home and livelihood being affected because they live on the margins of the boundary drawn by the executing agency. However, they are the real bearers and affected most by hydro projects. Affected PAPs have migrated with their belongings and resettled at other place, received employment and a new life at resettlement colony; but affected people, without PAP status have remained there. Devoid of any alternative, they cannot leave their native land.
Native Narrates
Project affected of chamera-I
Hans Raj, a resident of Ghari, a submerged village in Chamera-I laments, "Better if NHPC drowns us in the reservoir." Living near the reservoir, they face numerous health hazards, scarcities and environmental and livelihood problems. They are living in psycho-traumatic conditions. They are dying everyday, every hour, and every moment. Little moisture remains at the cultivation land, reducing crop production by up to eight times of the previous level. Their natural sources of water are drying up. In some cases natural sources of water bouri are replaced by pipes, which, nevertheless, often go dry in summer.
The indigenous water mills are closed because of the non-availability of water in small rivulets (nallas). Earlier people would grind their food grains in these water mills, now they are forced to pay for electric grinders (chakki). It has disturbed the self-sufficient and self-reliant status of Indian village community. Further, electric grinders (chakkis) are dependent on electricity supply, while the traditional method of grinding in the form of gharats was based on the flow of water. It has disturbed the
"Hatt and Gharat" culture of Indian village community.
Power projects have also caused submergence of forest & vegetative cover, creating the scarcity of fodder and fuel wood. Local trees of dhaman, drek, khadak have become barren stumps.
Enters NHPC
NHPC has spent Rs 3.30 crores for environment protection and planted 45.74 lakhs trees at 2000 hectare land in Chamera-I. It spent Rs 11.45 crores in Chamera-II for the treatment of 9890 hectare area and compensatory afforestation in 172.58 hectare area of degraded forest land (NHPC, 2005). However, the implementation part of such plans tells a different story.
Today not a single tree afforested by NHPC can be seen. When contacted, authorities replied that they have allocated the funds and given to the state government and it is up to the state government to implement it.
In Conclusion
Dams have, undoubtedly, made an important contribution to the human development as benefits derived from them have been considerable. But they have also altered and diverted the natural river flows, affecting existing rights, livelihood, environment and access of locals to water.
This writer is not against the installation of power projects but these must be eco-friendly, effecting sustainable improvement of human welfare. It involves 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 surely deserve full support of the writer. The policies should be local people friendly so that the proportionate balance between biotic and abiotic components of the environment can be maintained and the potential capacity of Ravi can be utilized properly. 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-equity, efficiency, participatory decision-making, sustainability and accountability.
Everything can be generated but water cannot. Once it is lost it will be lost forever, it cannot be regenerated. It is essential to use this wonderful gift of God to meet our need, not greed. We should not disturb natural cycle of water in the name of development. We must keep in mind that nature can live without man but man cannot.
Appendix
Information about physical disturbances created by Chamera-I & Chamera- II
Chamera-I
Chamera-II
Introduction and facilitation by Ashutosh Bhardwaj, IndianNGOs.com
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