Environmental Impacts of Hydro Power Projects in Uttarakhand: Governance & Audit Issues Ravi Chopra People’s Science Institute iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Uttarakhand – Land of a thousand Gangas iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Glacial Rivers Bhagirathi at Gaumukh iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Spring-Fed Rivers R. Kosi in Almora district iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Hydropower Development Potential in Uttarakhand Installed Capacities of Commissioned & Under Construction HEPs in Uttarakhand S. Project Status Micro-Mini Small Medium Large Total No . ≤ 1MW ≥ 5MW ≥ 25MW ≥ 100 >1MW >2MW ≤ 2 <5 <25 <100 MW 1 Commissioned 11.96 7.15 31.3 121.6 246.15 3206 3624.16 (54) (5) (9) (9) (5) (10) (92) 2 Under 2.78 3.5 20.4 76.5 175 3014 3292.18 Construction (15) (2) (5) (8) (2) (6) (38) Total 14.74 10.65 51.7 198.1 421.15 6220 6916.3 (69) (7) (14) (17) (7) (16) (130) Source: UJVNL, December 2013: S & I= Survey and Investigation Under Consideration Installed Capacities (MW) S. Project Status Micro-Mini Small Medium Large Total No. MW ≤ 1 ≥ 5 MW ≥ 25 ≥ 100 >1 >2 MW MW MW <5 < 25 MW < MW ≤ 2 100 1 Awaiting 1 1.9 7 303.8 196 2808 3317.70 Clearance (1) (1) (2) (22) (3) (9) (38) 2 S & I Stage 21.28 32.85 101.25 1086.25 2233.8 13330 16805.43 (282) (58) (18) (28) (84) (63) (31) GrandTotal 37.02 45.4 159.95 1588.1 2850.9 22358 27039.4 (128) (26) (44) (123) (73) (56) (450) Source:UJVNL, December 2013 Figures in () give the number of projects iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Hydropower projects in Uttarakhand iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Life-cycle environmental and social impacts of HEPs - Ia ACTIVITY IMPACT Pre-Project Construction Land acquisition (displacement, loss of lands, homes, and Construction of approach roads livelihoods) Deforestation (loss of tree cover, access to CPRs, soil erosion and landslides, loss of flora and fauna, changes in micro-climate) Disposal of debris and earth (loss of trees, river water pollution) Deforestation Construction of housing Pollution due to sewage releases for staff and labour Noise pollution, slopes destabilization, disruption of Quarrying underground seepages and damage to houses Project Construction Air and noise pollution, destabilization of slopes, damage Tunneling to houses, disturbing wildlife, drying of springs, disposal of muck into the river, psychological trauma to people and animals due to the repeated blasts iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Life-cycle environmental and social impacts of HEPs - Ib Disruption of river flows (biotic changes, disruption of Dam Construction natural functions, e.g., sediments disposal, land shaping, nutrient cycling), river pollution, loss of aesthetic, cultural, economic and recreational values. Project Operation Slope Testing of Tunnels destabilization (loss of tree cover, land, livelihoods, water sources and access to CPRs) Sedimentation (effect on river water quality) Water Storage and Disruption of river flow Release Secondary effects (release of greenhouse gases, warming of valleys, increased earthquake risks, floods, downstream urban and industrial development Deforestation (loss of wild life habitat), soil erosion Laying of Power Lines iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
CAG Report - 2009 • Reviewed 48 projects (~2423 MW) of IPPs allotted between 1993 and 2006. Till March 2009 only 5 completed (418 MW). • Delays due to land acquisition, forest clearance and capacity enhancement problems. • Poor quality pre-feasibility studies (loss to the state). • No punitive action against developers for defaulting on IA. • Poor monitoring of project execution, lack of environmental & safety concerns, generation losses. • Dry river beds, muck disposal into rivers & poor afforestation. • Inadequate state government support for timely land acquisition, forest clearance, R&R and installation of grid infra. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Expert Body ToRs An Expert Body (EB) was set up by MoEF in October 2013 on the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. ToRs (SC) • Assess whether the existing and ongoing/under construction hydropower projects have contributed to the environmental degradation • Make a detailed study and evaluate as to how far HEPs have contributed to the aggravation of damage caused by downstream floods. • Examine, as observed by WII, whether the proposed 24 projects in Uttarakhand are causing a significant impact on the biodiversity of the Alaknanda & Bhagirathi river basins. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts: River Flows (a) Minimal flows released downstream of HEPs leading to loss of river integrity, disruption of fish migration, loss of acquatic biota and diversity. R. Bhagirathi upstream & downstream of MB-I iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts: River Flows (b) R. Alaknanda upstream & downstream of Vishnuprayag HEP iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts: River Flows (c) Courtesy: SANDRP Construction of multiple projects fragments river length affecting the riverine biota & diversity. Between Maneri (Uttarkashi) and Koteshwar (Tehri Garhwal) 110 km of the Bhagirathi is disrupted, almost half its total length. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts: Water Quality (a) River water quality is severely impacted during the construction stage due to unscientific & unlawful muck dumping from roads & tunnel construction. Poor monitoring by regulatory authorities. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts : Water Quality (b) A comprehensive study by NEERI has highlighted the deleterious effect of the Tehri dam on the unique self purifying ability of Gangajal in R. Bhagirathi. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts : Water Quality (c) Cascading decline of self cleansing ability of R. Bhagirathi due to multiple dams. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts: Biodiversity (a) The most serious impact on biodiversity is the loss of the riverine ecosystem along the rim of the Tehri reservoir . iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts : Biodiversity (b) Courtesy: WII iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts: Slope Stability (a) The destruction does not end even after the dams are built. Landslides due to repeated raising and lowering of the water level in the Tehri reservoir. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts: Slope Stability (b) Courtesy: Navin Juyal Land subsidence and fissures in Mohan Negi village on the rim of the Tehri reservoir. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Environmental Impacts: Slope Stability (b) Land subsidence at Chayeen village in Chamoli district after commissioning of the Vishnuprayag HEP iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Social Impacts (a) (b) (a) Drying of springs and (b) Housing damages due to blasting iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Aggravate Disaster Impacts (a) The Phata – Byung dam at Sitapur on R. Mandakini was not designed to take the flood of about 2000 cumecs that swept down the valley in June 2013.Water level rose almost 36 ft behind the dam. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Aggravate Disaster Impacts (b) Ravi Chopra Navin Juyal Himalayan rivers carry huge amounts of sediments besides water. But the dams in the IHR are not designed for the sediment loads. Destruction at the Vishnuprayag HEP due to the heavy sediment load. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Aggravate Disaster Impacts (c) Navin Juyal Temporal changes in the landscape at Srinagar. (a) 2007 when there was no muck dumped at the river bank. (b) 2009 muck dumping in progress and (c) after the flood when a part of the muck and the university stadium ground was washed away. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Aggravate Disaster Impacts (d) Navin Juyal Geochemical analyses of flood sediments collected along the course of R. Alaknanda below the barrage indicate significant phyllite contribution (from muck) varying from 47% to 23% thereby raising the river bed during the flood and inundating the lower parts of Srinagar. MD indicates muck dumping sites. iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Glacier Impacts (a) Distribution of glaciers in different river basin of Uttarakhand Himalaya (Raina and Srivastava, 2008) iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Glacier Impacts (b) Navin Juyal Hyperconcentrated sediment laden water was obstructed by the Vishnuprayag barrage which caused a temporary lake. The lake finally breached along the weak debris laden left flank. As a result the sudden sediment laden flood surge caused large-scale damage downstream (Pandukeshwar and Govindghat iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
Projects in paraglacial zones 75 projects above the MCT iCED Jaipur – July, 2015
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