Himachal Pradesh: People threaten to launch mass agitation against hydroelectric projects
20 hours, 9 minutes ago

Himachal Pradesh: People threaten to launch mass agitation against hydroelectric projects

New Indian Express  

CHANDIGARH: People are up in arms against the Himachal Pradesh government's plan to commission mega hydroelectric projects in the Chenab basin located across Kullu, Chamba,Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Shimla districts. Talking with this newspaper, Advocate Sudarshan Thakur, a member of the people's movement against the 400 MW Seli hydro project around a decade back says, "the main reason for opposing these large-scale hydroelectric projects in the Chenab basin is the seismic vulnerability of environmentally fragile Lahaul and Spiti as it is situated in seismic zones 4 and 5. Guman Singh, an environmentalist and coordinator of Himalaya Niti Abhiyan said, "These mega hydel projects should be banned above 6000 feet height across Himalayan region especially in the Chenab basin of Lahaul Spiti as it is frangile area and can cause soil erosion, landslides also in depletion of glaciers and making a glacier of lakes and they can burst any time. These mega-projects can cause habitat destruction, deforestation, and even displacement of communities.’’ "The government should not set-up these hydro projects in the eco-sensitive zones like Lahaul Spiti.

Projects Himachal Pradesh Hydro Lahaul Spiti Hydroelectric Projects  hydro  chenab  glaciers  basin  lahaul  spiti  launch  hydroelectric  mw  mass  region  threaten  agitation  zones  himachal  pradesh  projects

History of this topic

Siang project not just for generating power but mitigating flood risks posed by China: Arunachal CM
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Siang project not just for generating power but mitigating flood risks posed by China: Arunachal CM

Hindustan Times  

Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, estimated to cost ₹1.13 lakh crore, was being planned by the Centre not just for generating electricity but to maintain the natural flow of the river all year round and mitigate risks of flooding if China released excess water. Siang project not just for generating power but …

Protest Against Arunachal Dam Project Is Result Of Pema Khandu's Failure To Address Local Concerns | OPINION
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Protest Against Arunachal Dam Project Is Result Of Pema Khandu's Failure To Address Local Concerns | OPINION

ABP News  

In the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, away from the BJP-versus-Congress tussles dominating national headlines, local indigenous communities in the Siang, Upper Siang, and East Siang districts are raising their voices against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Dam Project. Why Locals Are Protesting Siang Upper Multipurpose Dam Project The residents of the Siang Valley oppose the project due to concerns …

Civil society outfits urge President to withdraw central forces from Siang Hydropower project survey
Trending News
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Civil society outfits urge President to withdraw central forces from Siang Hydropower project survey

New Indian Express  

Hundreds of environmentalists, civil society organizations urged the President of India Droupdi Murmu to withdraw paramilitary forces deployed to quell indigenous people’s protest against proposed 11000 MW hydropower dam surveys in Siang valley of Arunachal. According to the letter written to the Murmu, over 351 concerned citizens – activists, researchers, lawyers, scientists, journalists, experts, community representatives and 109 people’s organisations …

‘No hydropower project if people don’t want it. But…’: Arunachal CM Pema Khandu
3 weeks, 4 days ago

‘No hydropower project if people don’t want it. But…’: Arunachal CM Pema Khandu

Hindustan Times  

GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said on Thursday that the 12,500 Siang Upper multipurpose hydropower project in the state, which is facing resistance from residents, would be shelved if people don’t want it. Khandu said people who were ‘instigating’ the protests are themselves confused about whether the project is 12,500 megawatt, 11,000 MW or ‘10,000 MW capacity. The …

Devastating Floods in Himachal Pradesh Causes Extreme Weather Disasters | ABP News
5 months, 1 week ago

Devastating Floods in Himachal Pradesh Causes Extreme Weather Disasters | ABP News

ABP News  

On one hand, floods are wreaking havoc in the plains, while the mountains are equally affected as heavy rains bring life to a halt. In Himachal Pradesh, a severe weather event unfolded on Wednesday night when cloudbursts occurred in three different areas. Climate change plays a pivotal role, as rising global temperatures lead to more extreme weather patterns, including intense …

Lok Sabha polls: Over 60 environmental groups demand ban on mega infrastructure projects in Himalayas
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Lok Sabha polls: Over 60 environmental groups demand ban on mega infrastructure projects in Himalayas

The Hindu  

More than 60 environmental and social organisations in the country have demanded a complete ban on all mega infrastructure projects, such as those related to the railways, dams, hydro projects and four-lane highways in the Himalayas, and have urged for referendums and public consultations to be made compulsory for all development projects. The organisations, jointly leading the "People for Himalaya" …

Hydropower projects on the Teesta have weakened the topography of Sikkim, causing disasters like the recent floods
1 year, 2 months ago

Hydropower projects on the Teesta have weakened the topography of Sikkim, causing disasters like the recent floods

The Hindu  

Published : Oct 25, 2023 21:03 IST - 12 MINS READ On the night of October 3, 2023, the South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim breached, causing a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood. Located approximately 60 kilometres downstream of the lake, in Chungthang town of Mangan district, was the 1,200 MW Teesta III dam, the biggest hydropower project in Sikkim. “Rivers …

CEA issues guidelines for hydro projects after disaster in Sikkim
1 year, 3 months ago

CEA issues guidelines for hydro projects after disaster in Sikkim

Live Mint  

India’s apex power planning body, the Central Electricity Authority, has come up with guidelines for slope stability—inclines that can withstand movement—in hydropower projects after heavy rains and glacial lake floods damaged a dam in Sikkim. “The examination of upper reaches may include study of hazards due to avalanche, GLOF, landslide hazard analysis of slopes above the reservoir rim area, among …

Himachal-based environmentalists call to rethink policies for sustainable future
1 year, 3 months ago

Himachal-based environmentalists call to rethink policies for sustainable future

Hindustan Times  

In the aftermath of floods, as Himachal Pradesh is battling to rebuild the ravaged regions, the environmental groups have called on the state government to rethink its policies that are proving detrimental to the environment and focus on sustainable growth to conserve the Himalayas. Between July and August, the relentless rainfall caused 168 landslides and 72 flash floods across the …

Explained | Himachal floods: a man-made disaster?
1 year, 5 months ago

Explained | Himachal floods: a man-made disaster?

The Hindu  

The story so far: Flash floods during this year’s monsoon season have caused unprecedented damage to both lives and assets in Himachal Pradesh. Although climate change is expected to have played a hand in causing the high precipitation leading to these flash floods, human induced disasters resulting from planned development have played a significant role in causing such colossal losses. …

Rain toll points to man-made disaster in Himachal Pradesh
1 year, 6 months ago

Rain toll points to man-made disaster in Himachal Pradesh

The Hindu  

In less than a month since the onset of monsoon this year, from June 24 to July 10, over 41 landslides, 29 flash floods, and one cloud burst have occurred so far in Himachal Pradesh, with relentless rains pounding the hill State and leaving behind a trail of destruction. Manshi Asher, an environmentalist associated with the Himdhara Environment Research and …

Arunachal Pradesh farmers’ body rejects 10,000 MW hydropower plan on Siang River
1 year, 9 months ago

Arunachal Pradesh farmers’ body rejects 10,000 MW hydropower plan on Siang River

The Hindu  

Two Arunachal Pradesh-based organisations, including a farmers’ collective, have asked the State Government to scrap a deal for executing a proposed 10,000 MW hydropower project on the Siang River. Accusing the State Government of inking a deal with the National Hydropower Power Corporation for the mega-dam without taking the local people into confidence, Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum and the Indigenous …

Locals in Dharchula town of Uttarakhand protest against power project, fear Joshimath-like crisis
1 year, 10 months ago

Locals in Dharchula town of Uttarakhand protest against power project, fear Joshimath-like crisis

The Hindu  

Residents of Pithoragarh district’s Dharchula town, situated on the India-Nepal border and close to the China border, on Monday staged a protest against the proposed Bokang-Baling Hydroelectric Project in the Darma Valley, which will be executed by THDC India Limited. Living in a seismically sensitive zone of the Himalayas, residents are apprehensive about the hydro power project work, which includes …

Stop construction of hydel projects in Himachal’s Kinnaur: Green activists to Centre
1 year, 10 months ago

Stop construction of hydel projects in Himachal’s Kinnaur: Green activists to Centre

Hindustan Times  

Fearing Joshimath-like land subsidence in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur, various environmental groups and local activists have urged the central government to stop the construction of power projects in their district, which has at least 22 small and big hydroelectricity projects. They have urged the expert appraisal committee, river valley projects, ministry of environment, forest and climate change, to discuss the issue …

India plans ‘buffers’ in proposed Arunachal hydropower project to counter ‘China threat’
1 year, 11 months ago

India plans ‘buffers’ in proposed Arunachal hydropower project to counter ‘China threat’

The Hindu  

Concerns over China’s proposed 60,000 MW hydropower in Medog, Tibet are influencing the design of a proposed hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district. Still only in the planning stage, a ‘pre-feasibility report’ on the 11,000 MW project, or more than five times the size of the largest such projects in India – has been submitted to the Central …

Sinking Himalayan town puts spotlight on India’s hydropower push
2 years ago

Sinking Himalayan town puts spotlight on India’s hydropower push

Al Jazeera  

Farmer Shiv Lal barely slept this week, overcome by worry about the deep cracks scarring his land and hundreds of other homes and buildings in a sinking town in India’s Himalayas. While NTPC officials and some geologists have ruled out tunnelling work as the cause of this month’s devastation in Joshimath, residents’ angry protests have reignited debate about the construction …

Mega dams in Arunachal Pradesh a threat to its environment and people
2 years, 2 months ago

Mega dams in Arunachal Pradesh a threat to its environment and people

The Hindu  

Published : Oct 20, 2022 10:40 IST The Dibang river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, is central to the belief systems of the Idu Mishmis, a small indigenous community of Dibang Valley, which is a biodiversity hotspot in the north-easternmost corner of Arunachal Pradesh. Etalin is just one of the many hydropower projects proposed in Arunachal Pradesh, which, with its …

Activists oppose Centre’s nod to select hydropower projects in Uttarakhand
3 years, 4 months ago

Activists oppose Centre’s nod to select hydropower projects in Uttarakhand

The Hindu  

A group of environmentalists, historians, geologists and intellectuals have petitioned the Union Environment Ministry to recant its endorsement of seven hydroelectric power projects in Uttarakhand. The signatories include Kunwar Rewati Raman Singh, MP, Rajya Sabha; Justice Giridhar Malviya, Chancellor, Benares Hindu University, Ravi Chopra, chairman, Supreme Court-appointed expert body on impacts of hydro projects, Shashi Shekhar, ex-Secretary, Water Resources Ministry …

A fine line: The Hindu Editorial on development and conservation
3 years, 4 months ago

A fine line: The Hindu Editorial on development and conservation

The Hindu  

The need for infrastructure development in the Himalayan region rubs up against the environmental and ecological challenges that they pose. The Uttarakhand government has for decades envisaged hydroelectric projects as the way forward to power the State, premised on the region’s undulating topography. There have been divisions even within various Central ministries: the Water Resources Ministry, which manages the NMCG, …

Explained | Why are hydropower projects in the Himalayas risky?
3 years, 4 months ago

Explained | Why are hydropower projects in the Himalayas risky?

The Hindu  

The Environment Ministry, in an affidavit placed in the Supreme Court earlier this month, has disclosed that it has permitted seven hydroelectric power projects, which are reportedly in advanced stages of construction, to go ahead. The Das committee recommended all six projects with design modifications to some, and this gives lie to the Environment Ministry’s current stance. Following the break …

Ministries reach consensus on hydropower projects in Himalayas
3 years, 4 months ago

Ministries reach consensus on hydropower projects in Himalayas

The Hindu  

Six months after a devastating flood of rock, ice and debris gushed down the Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand and killed at least 200 and severely damaged two hydropower projects, three Central Ministries, which initially had dissenting views on the future of hydroelectric power projects have agreed to a consensus. According to an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court this month, …

The rumbling hills of Himachal Pradesh
3 years, 4 months ago

The rumbling hills of Himachal Pradesh

The Hindu  

It was a relatively warm monsoon afternoon on July 25 when Arjun Devi, 65, was sitting outside her house, legs stretched out. During the construction of these power projects and dams, the use of rock blasting and heavy machinery in construction sites, besides tree felling, have damaged the fragile hills,” he says. In its 2012 State Strategy and Action Plan …

Wounded mountains: on Himachal landslide tragedy
3 years, 5 months ago

Wounded mountains: on Himachal landslide tragedy

The Hindu  

The tragic death of nine tourists in a landslip in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh is another pointer to the fragility of the ecology of the Himalayan States. What should worry Himachal, and neighbouring Uttarakhand, is that the States may be entering a phase of irreversible decline because of losses to their ecology; frequent landslides may become inevitable. Mega hydropower, …

Hydropower projects are wreaking havoc in the Himalayas
3 years, 9 months ago

Hydropower projects are wreaking havoc in the Himalayas

Al Jazeera  

On February 7, a Himalayan glacier broke and caused a flash flood in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand. “It shows that nature will strike back if we disregard the ecological limits of fragile regions like the Himalayas through reckless dam building and other infrastructure development.” After the 2013 flash flood, the Supreme Court of India also mandated a national …

Uttarakhand Tragedy: Unscientific Cutting of Himalayan Soil Causing Disasters, Says Former GSI Official
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand Tragedy: Unscientific Cutting of Himalayan Soil Causing Disasters, Says Former GSI Official

News 18  

Unscientific cutting of Himalayan soil by infrastructure projects is disrupting the fragile ecology of the region and causing disasters, warned a former official of the Geological Survey of India on Tuesday. Former additional director general of GSI Tribhuwan Singh Pangti, who was associated with the now demolished Rishiganga hydroelectric project for initial two years as a geologist, said the hydroelectric …

The Hindu Explains | Why are geologists worried about a slew of hydroelectric projects and environmental stress in Uttarakhand?
3 years, 10 months ago

The Hindu Explains | Why are geologists worried about a slew of hydroelectric projects and environmental stress in Uttarakhand?

The Hindu  

The story so far: A snow avalanche triggered possibly by a landslide caused a flash flood in the Rishi Ganga river, a tributary of the Alaknanda in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, on a sunny morning on February 7, washing away a functional small hydroelectric project and destroying the under-construction 520 MW Tapovan Vishnugad project of the NTPC on the Dhauli …

Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Fallout: Power Project Plans in Eco-fragile Himachal Regions Spark Fears Among Locals, Experts
3 years, 11 months ago

Uttarakhand Glacier Burst Fallout: Power Project Plans in Eco-fragile Himachal Regions Spark Fears Among Locals, Experts

News 18  

The Uttarakhand glacier disaster has sparked off fears hundreds of kilometres away. Residents of the Lahaul-Spiti region in Himachal Pradesh are up against proposed power projects in the ecologically fragile Chenab basin. The Himachal Pradesh government has already allocated several power projects in the Chenab basin. Concerned by the Chamoli mishap, residents of Tandi and Goshal panchayats held a meeting …

Until about 10 years ago, I believed that it was possible to have hydropower projects in Uttarakhand: PSI Director
3 years, 11 months ago

Until about 10 years ago, I believed that it was possible to have hydropower projects in Uttarakhand: PSI Director

The Hindu  

Ravi Chopra, Director, People’s Science Institute, has been a critic of hydropower projects in Uttarakhand and has chaired and been part of several committees that have deliberated on infrastructure development in the State, while staying true to the principles of sustainable environment. However, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which was then led by Secretary, Mr. Shashi Shekhar, accepted our …

Lahaul-Spiti residents want hydro projects scrapped
3 years, 11 months ago

Lahaul-Spiti residents want hydro projects scrapped

The Hindu  

In the wake of the Uttarakhand avalanche, there is increased anxiety among the people in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh who have been up in arms against the hydropower projects proposed in this tribal region. We have submitted our demands to the State government, the Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and also to President Ram Nath Kovind,” said Mr. Kumar. But …

‘Himalayas are fragile and host to several complex processes that need to be monitored’
3 years, 11 months ago

‘Himalayas are fragile and host to several complex processes that need to be monitored’

The Hindu  

On February 7, a flash flood hurtled down in Chamoli, Uttarakhand killing at least 31 and destroying two hydropower projects. Kalachand Sain, Director, WIHG, says in an interview to The Hindu’s Jacob Koshy, that it was large rock falling on a hanging glacier that precipitated the avalanche and flood. The impact from the falling rock broke it and this mass …

Troubled mountains: On Uttarakhand glacier disaster
3 years, 11 months ago

Troubled mountains: On Uttarakhand glacier disaster

The Hindu  

The staggering collapse of part of a glacier in Uttarakhand’s Nanda Devi mountain and the ensuing floods that have claimed many lives come as a deadly reminder that this fragile, geologically dynamic region can never be taken for granted. Once the crucible of environmentalism, epitomised by Sunderlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi and the Chipko movement, the State’s deep gorges and canyons …

Projects above an elevation of 2,200 metres recipe for disaster, say experts
3 years, 11 months ago

Projects above an elevation of 2,200 metres recipe for disaster, say experts

The Hindu  

The hydropower projects in Uttarakhand are particularly vulnerable to damage by extreme flooding events such as the deluge in the Rishiganga river on Sunday that damaged at least two plants. There are eight projects above 25 MW and the damaged Tapovan-Vishnugadh project being developed by the National Thermal Power Corporation falls into this category, according to a reply to a …

Uttarakhand glacier disaster: What caused the deadly flash floods in India?
3 years, 11 months ago

Uttarakhand glacier disaster: What caused the deadly flash floods in India?

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Scientists are divided over what unleashed the deadly flash …

Was Against Power Projects on Ganga, Its Main Tributaries, Says Uma Bharti Amid U'khand Tragedy
3 years, 11 months ago

Was Against Power Projects on Ganga, Its Main Tributaries, Says Uma Bharti Amid U'khand Tragedy

News 18  

BJP leader Uma Bharti Sunday said the Uttarakhand flood tragedy triggered by a glacier burst is a matter of concern as well as a warning, and added that as a minister she had spoken against having any power project on the Ganga and its major tributaries. In a series of tweets in Hindi, she said the glacier breaking off had …

Hazardous ideas for the Himalayas
4 years, 1 month ago

Hazardous ideas for the Himalayas

The Hindu  

In an article published on the website of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, China announced that it is planning to build a major hydropower project as a part of its 14th Five-Year Plan, on the Yarlung Zangbo River, in Mêdog County in Tibet. The northeast Himalayan bend has experienced several large earthquakes of magnitude 7 and above …

11 anti-flood projects stalled by Nepal, CM Adityanath tells PM Modi
4 years, 5 months ago

11 anti-flood projects stalled by Nepal, CM Adityanath tells PM Modi

The Hindu  

Eleven new flood prevention projects worth ₹53.64 crore could not be executed before the current flood season on the Indo-Nepal border as the neighbouring country did not provide permission for implementation in its geographical area due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Uttar Pradesh government said on Monday. The statement comes as 582 villages in 19-20 districts of the State remained …

Dams and danger
5 years, 4 months ago

Dams and danger

The Hindu  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the renowned television presenter Bear Grylls, on the Discovery channel show “Man vs Wild”, which was first aired on August 12, that conservation of nature was close to his heart. However, on July 17, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Modi cleared India’s largest hydroelectric project, the 2,880-megawatt Dibang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal …

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