The relentless push for hydropower
projects in the Teesta River basin is not just a misguided attempt at
development; it is an environmental catastrophe in the making. Senior Congress
leader Jairam Ramesh's sharp criticism of these projects as nothing short of an
"environmental catastrophe" reflects the growing concern over the
disastrous impact of such ventures in the fragile Himalayan region.
Recent events paint a grim picture of the
consequences of this unchecked development. The Dipudara landslides that struck
on Tuesday caused significant damage to the NHPC Teesta V hydropower station at
Dikchu, a 510 MW project that had already suffered during the Glacial Lake
Outburst Flood (GLOF) in October 2023. These recurring disasters are stark
reminders of the vulnerability of the Himalayan region, yet they seem to fall
on deaf ears.
The Teesta River, once a lifeline for the
people of Sikkim and Kalimpong, is now more flood-prone than ever, thanks to
the series of hydropower projects choking its flow. A report by the National
Hydropower Development Corporation reveals a staggering 47 hydropower projects
in various stages of development along the Teesta River. This relentless push
for dams and tunnels is altering the region's ecology, making it a ticking time
bomb waiting to unleash more disasters.
The catastrophic scale of the October 2023
disaster, exacerbated by the failure of the Teesta-III dam, is a proof of the
dangers of ignoring environmental and geological realities. The region's
increased vulnerability, heightened by the irresponsible disposal of debris and
unplanned construction, has only worsened the situation. With the riverbed
level rising, the region faces an even greater risk of floods, threatening the
lives and livelihoods of those who call this area home.
Yet, these hydropower projects offer
little to the local communities in return. As Ramesh rightly pointed out, the
people of Sikkim and Kalimpong have seen no meaningful benefits from these
projects—no significant employment opportunities, no share in the power
generated, and no revenue. Worse still, these projects have proceeded without
proper consultation with the local communities, whose warnings about the
potential impacts of GLOFs were dismissed, only for those very warnings to
become reality.
The Himalayan region is ecologically
fragile, and the cumulative impact of these hydropower projects cannot be
overstated. The government's push for development at any cost is fundamentally
altering the landscape, with grave consequences for this and future
generations. The cascading series of disasters over the past year should serve
as a wake-up call. What the region desperately needs is a development framework
that prioritizes ecological sustainability, not one that sacrifices the
environment on the altar of progress.
The time has come for a serious
re-evaluation of hydropower projects in the Himalayas. The lessons from Teesta
are clear: the cost of ignoring ecological realities is too high, and the
consequences are too dire to continue down this path.
