JOIN USMini hydel projects need to be regulated
Alarmed by the mushrooming mini hydel projects in the interior regions of Malenadu, the hill region of Karnataka, the people as well as concerned organisations had approached the high court to seek intervention and halt the process of destruction.
The private construction companies, who have the requisite permission form the government, will definitely approach the apex court to seek justice. So, will this reprieve for the forests be short lived? What are the larger issues at stake? What are the apprehensions of the local people against such benign green technologies?
Mini hydel projects and wind mills have become the fad of the day as they are supposed to be environment friendly. The large hydel dams built to generate power have submerged virgin forests and villages that pose ecological destruction and disrupt social harmony. The thermal power plants that emit pollution have been opposed in Western Ghats.
In this grim power scenario, the alternative option to generate eco-friendly power was the only option.
Earlier demand
Madhav Gadgil, chairman of the Western Ghat Expert Panel on Ecology said: “What we need is less ecologically damaging power plants, and tap mini and micro hydro-electricity potential in this area.” In fact, most of the environmental activists who opposed Kaiga nuclear power plant as well as large hydro dams in Western Ghats during the 80s have categorically demanded that the government goes in for small mini hydel projects.
Why are the same people opposing the mini hydel projects when it is being implemented by the state government?
The technology may be benign and eco-friendly, but the people and the companies who are implementing them envisage a windfall profit for their investment. The financial benefits as well as high returns are assured due to the multiple sops provided by the government as well as financial institutions. The government provides tax concessions for several years on the investment. The international agencies under CDM (clean development mechanism) provide carbon credits as they are supposed to reduce the carbon emission.
Armed with such subsidies the companies have targeted the most remote regions the in Western Ghats, where natural forests exist, and are the catchment of rivers and streams. Although called mini, most of them do require storage of water, though construction of a small reservoirs. This has to be followed with tunnels to channelise the water, and construction of small power plants. Most of these activities take place in forest areas, leading the destruction of the forest cover.
The Kaveri Sene has successfully rescued the Abbey falls near Madikeri form being decimated by the mini hydel project. But it was a long drawn struggle, as the state government does not realise the negative impact of mini hydel projects in dense forests. These lead to fragmentation of the compact block of forests, adversely affecting the movement of wildlife. It also leads to destruction of the biodiversity of the region.
It is high time the government sets up a committee comprising of scientists, engineers and local people to study the long-term impact of mini hydel projects as well as the installation of huge wind farms that are causing damage to the environment. There are successful initiatives like decentralised micro hydel systems that have been installed in numerous places in Western Ghats that is supplying power to the villages. The builder of such systems, Ratnakar, an hydro engineer form Teerthalli says: “The need is to carefully identify the location and work harmony with nature to install the turbines causing least damage to environment.”
Mini hydel projects in the Himalayas are under scanner for having destroyed the fragile ecosystem. The ecosystem in Western Ghats is more precarious due the existence of tropical forests and the tag of biodiversity hotspot. Considering the importance of these ecosystems, the government should evolve a sound strategy to strike a balance between conservation and power generation.
If this precautionary principle is ignored, the green projects would continue to produce red results.