The Hidden Cost of Hydropower : Environmental hazards and risks of tunneling, excavation and construction in Run of the River Hydropower Projects in Himachal Pradesh

A Summary Note

Even as we are at the end of the fifth decade of celebrating the World Environment Day, globally the environmental crisis continues to worsen. One of the solutions to mitigate the climate crisis and green house gas emissions adopted by countries including India has been shifting to renewable energy sources like Hydropower. However, over the last few years increasing evidence has emerged that hydropower production may not be so ‘clean and green’ after all. While most of this research has highlighted that the cascade of hydropower projects stops the free flow of rivers, the issues of environmental hazards and risks that accompany the construction of hydropower have not been highlighted enough. “The Hidden Cost of Hydropower: environmental hazards and risks of tunneling, excavation and construction in Run of the River Hydropower Projects in Himachal Pradesh”, a report compiled by Himdhara, an Environment Research and Action Collective released this week tries to address this gap.

Himdhara Collective, based in Himachal, for the last decade has been tracking and documenting the impacts of construction of hydropower projects in the State which is the highest producer of hydropower in the country today making more than 10,500 MW electricity. The report is a compilation of some primary and secondary evidences of the impacts triggered by construction of tunnels and other underground components for hydropower projects in the state, documented so far. The purpose of the document is to provide evidence to establish that there are severe risks and hazards associated with hydropower construction, especially in Himalayan regions like Himachal Pradesh.

First and foremost, these hazards mainly emanate from the existing geological and ecological vulnerability of the Himalayas itself. For instance, 97.42% of the total geographical area of Himachal is prone to landslide hazards according to the Geological survey of India. In fact, a ‘Landslide Hazard Risk Assessment’ study published by the Himachal government’s own Disaster Management Cell found that a huge number of hydropower stations are under threat of landslide Hazard risk and at least 10 Mega hydropower stations are located in the medium and high-risk landslide area . A research study released last year by the Institute of Earth and Environmental Science in Germany had concluded that one in four hydropower projects in the Himalayan region are at risk from landslides triggered by earthquakes and tremors. The report cites examples to illustrate how risks of accidents around hydropower project sites is higher due to climate change related disasters like flash floods and cloudbursts.

Secondly, the report explains that the underground component of the civil work in hydropower projects is quite substantial involving blasting and dynamiting which exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and unleash impacts that are yet to be adequately studied and understood. Underground construction includes: a headrace tunnel (These tunnels are large enough to allow the passage of heavy vehicles) a tailrace tunnel; a surge shaft (like a deep well); a powerhouse, transformer hall, desilting chambers and adit tunnels (to provide access for the construction of the main tunnel).

The report highlights four major impacts of this kind of construction:

• Geological impacts – triggering of landslides/slope failures leading to damage of roads, farms houses
• Hydrogeological impacts – drying of springs and underground water sources
• Muck Dumping – along rivers leading to increasing siltation, in forests and pastures
• Safety negligence leading to accidents

Under each section explaining the impact the report provides visuals from project sites in Kinnaur, Kullu and Chamba falling in the Satluj, Beas and Ravi basin respectively. Case studies like that of the Parbati II, Karcham Wangtoo, Kashang and Bajoli Holi projects illustrate how the above impacts have made difficult the lives and livelihoods of the people in the project area. Glaring loopholes in the planning, impact assessment and regulatory mechanisms are seen in each of the cases presented.

Most importantly, it is found that the existing studies available on these impacts are inadequate or biased in favour of the hydropower producers, with economics as the main concern. For instance, Environment Impact Assessment reports of hydropower projects have detailed sections on the geological & seismic vulnerability of the project sites, but these seem to be glossed over with an explanation that the ‘hurdles’, ‘surprises’ and ‘in competencies’ of the mountain geology would be handled and mitigated at a later stage, if and when they occur. Absence of baseline data makes it difficult to establish ‘scientific’ linkages let’s say between tunnel construction and damage to houses, but at the time of impact assessment studies there is a rush to complete the studies get through the ‘clearances’ speedily.

The costs of these ‘surprises’ are externalized and borne by the affected people or the public exchequer to a large extent. Audit reports of the Comptroller Auditor General quoted in the report provide ample evidence of this. The costs that producers have been forced to bear have led to financial losses and bad loans and cumulatively a slump in the hydropower sector over the last few years. While at the state level we have seen falling revenues, at the national level the contribution of hydropower sector to the country’s total electricity production has halved from 25% to 13% in the last decade. While vagaries of the energy sector are partly responsible for the depleting demand and rising cost of hydropower, these local factors are also playing a role.

The report identifies the institutional failures of the Central Water Commission, the Central Electricity Auhtority that are supposed to assess the Detailed Project Reports, give techno-economic clearances and monitor the progress and reasons for delay in projects; the Ministry of Environment that has blindly granted environment and forest clearances overlooking the above impacts and non-compliances; the State Directorate of Energy and State Disaster Management Authority, who have failed to fulfill their regulatory roles and ensure that there is no negligence.

Apart from raising the lack of governance, there is a major policy failure that led to the recommendation by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy that all projects above 25 MW would also be considered as ‘renewable’, and thus eligible for further subsidies. This would mean that more costs are transferred to the ecology and affected people.

The need of the hour though is a pause on hydropower in the Himalayas in order to stop further devastation. There needs to be a complete stop to freebies and subsidies to the hydropower sector based on the ‘green’ tagging. The ‘renewable’ tag for hydropower needs to go.

An independent scientific review or assessment of the immediate or long-term implications of construction work for hydropower development especially in the Himalayas should be commissioned. A revision of terms of reference of impact assessment studies should be done on the basis of the same.

An independent inquiry/audit of the social, environmental and safety norms compliance of all under construction and operational projects specifically the projects where accidents have already been reported (refer to list at the end of the memorandum). In Himachal activation of an independent Dam Safety Cell at the state level (with members of all concerned departments) and a dam safety law at the national level is essential

Citizens engagement and Public consent mechanisms needs to be strengthened at the planning stage and a grievance redressal mechanism for addressing issues brought forth by public needs to be put in place post clearance.

Copy of Hidden Cost of Hydropower

Media Coverage

The Tribune

Times Of India

Hill Post

Himachal Watcher

Down To Earth