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.