Yet another hydropower project disaster devastated property, lands and livelihoods in Himachal Pradesh. This time in a 25 MW hydropower project executed by the Megha engineering Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), whose penstock/tunnel failure caused seepages which turned to a flash flood and landslide devastating farmlands and property in Multhan village and market in the Chhota Bhangal […]
A preliminary fact-finding report on the Lambadug hydroproject disaster, May 2024
Abstract The dramatic unfolding of the Joshimath crisis in Uttarakhand, India, has brought the world’s attention once again to the Himalaya. The contribution of a 520-megawatt hydropower dam to land subsidence is squarely in the spotlight. River valleys with bumper-to-bumper hydropower dam building, especially in the North Western Himalaya, in the past decade and a […]
Indigenous communities in the two ecologically fragile Himalayan States are routinely excluded from this narrative that fuels reckless growth. Article written by Manshi Asher published on 21/09/23 in Frontline The monsoon of 1999 is etched vividly in my memory. At 23, shortly after finishing my master’s, I was to join a project that worked on […]
Himachal Pradesh needs a policy and governance overhaul that prioritizes environmental sustainability and local communities Article written by Manshi Asher published on 16/07/23 in Hindustan Times As swollen rivers in Himachal Pradesh receded this week, and the state began accounting for the losses suffered, a meme began circulating. Barsaton mein pahad ghumne na aayen, kyunki […]
This #WorldEnvironmentDay Take out 7 minutes 🔹Not to read alarming scientific data 🔹Not to hear world leaders’ promises 🔹Not to plant a tree Just lend your ear to a Kinnaura elder’s voice of wisdom. From the high Himalaya in the throes of extractivist development, a region struggling against a hydropower dam.
हिन्दी के लिये नीचे स्क्रोल करें। From the East to the West Himalayas, the Brahmaputra, Ganga, and Indus River basins together are recognized as the water towers of Asia. Our civilizations were born at the banks of these Himalayan Rivers. Our ancestors have prayed to these rivers which have been the source of our spiritual […]
In the semi-arid landscape of Middle and Upper Kinnaur, natural spring water sources are a gift of nature and people are deeply dependent on them for domestic, cultural and irrigation purposes. Given the experience of the People’s Science Institute, Dehradun, they were invited to co-facilitate the workshop and share their expertise on local springshed management […]
हिंदी के लिए नीचे स्क्रोल करेंWhy we refused to attend the World Bank ‘Stakeholder consultation’ for proposed 200 million dollar ‘Himachal Pradesh Power Sector Development Program’! Excerpts of letter to World Bank and Directorate of Energy, HP calling out blatant and willful negligence of hazardous hydropower dams in Himachal The World Bank in a bid […]
Q. What does Himdhara do? Why was there a need for it? Himdhara is a Himachal based environment research and action collective that was formed in 2009. The collective has been working with an environmental justice approach, supporting mountain communities asserting their right to access, use and protect their natural landscapes. The support work itself […]