`Big dams may cause massive floods, decrease water level
The decision of the Arunachal Pradesh government to build 103 dams
has triggered protests in Assam. Environmentalists are of the opinion that it will have a debilitating impact on Assam’s economy and the state would be turned into a wasteland.
Says Amarjyoti Barua, general manager of the Brahmaputra Board in Guwahati: “We were not consulted at all on this issue. The Arunachal government is going ahead with its big dam projects without understanding the negative impact it will have on our state. The dams are being built with the help of private parties. There is a tacit understanding between the state government and Delhi on this issue.”
Barua said that had China built a dam on Tsangpo (that Beijing denied later on), it would have impacted only one river, but Arunachal’s plans would affect a number of rivers in Assam. He lashed out at the officials for going ahead without even conducting “model tests” which would have determined the actual impact the dams would have.
But authorities in Arunachal are least convinced with the argument being dished out by Barua. For them, the dams are a lifeline for the state, because it would produce 65,000 MW of power.
Authorities in Arunachal are tight-lipped on the issue. Despite repeated attempts by TSI, power secretary of the state could not be contacted. His personal assistant said he was “not interested” in airing his views on this hot topic.
Bhuban Pegu, MLA from Jonai in Assam, said this was not something new. Earlier, some flood-hit areas in the state had to bear the brunt of the Ranganadi dam, an Arunachal Pradesh project commissioned by the North-Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) in 2002. That was in the state’s lower Subansiri district.
“This project alone has not led to just the Ranganadi river drying up downstream but also created serious floods during the rainy season when the dam releases excess water. So you can well-imagine the havoc that 103 dams could wreak on the people of this region,” says Pegu.
He further added: “And remember that according to current rules, there is no provision for studying the environmental impact of dams downstream beyond a radius of 100 km. This rule has to be changed. Only then we can force the Arunachal government to backtrack on its commitment to build several dams in the state.”
Barua concurs: “These dams will, surely, affect marine life downstream.” He alleges that people with “vested interests in Arunachal took one of our reports and distorted it to suit their needs.” And just how bad could the impact be? “Assam’s groundwater level will fall if these dams are built. For all you know, the state could turn into another Rajasthan,” he said. But all these claims have failed to move the government in Itanagar.
The decision of the Arunachal Pradesh government to build 103 dams
has triggered protests in Assam. Environmentalists are of the opinion that it will have a debilitating impact on Assam’s economy and the state would be turned into a wasteland.Says Amarjyoti Barua, general manager of the Brahmaputra Board in Guwahati: “We were not consulted at all on this issue. The Arunachal government is going ahead with its big dam projects without understanding the negative impact it will have on our state. The dams are being built with the help of private parties. There is a tacit understanding between the state government and Delhi on this issue.”
Barua said that had China built a dam on Tsangpo (that Beijing denied later on), it would have impacted only one river, but Arunachal’s plans would affect a number of rivers in Assam. He lashed out at the officials for going ahead without even conducting “model tests” which would have determined the actual impact the dams would have.
But authorities in Arunachal are least convinced with the argument being dished out by Barua. For them, the dams are a lifeline for the state, because it would produce 65,000 MW of power.
Authorities in Arunachal are tight-lipped on the issue. Despite repeated attempts by TSI, power secretary of the state could not be contacted. His personal assistant said he was “not interested” in airing his views on this hot topic.
Bhuban Pegu, MLA from Jonai in Assam, said this was not something new. Earlier, some flood-hit areas in the state had to bear the brunt of the Ranganadi dam, an Arunachal Pradesh project commissioned by the North-Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) in 2002. That was in the state’s lower Subansiri district.
“This project alone has not led to just the Ranganadi river drying up downstream but also created serious floods during the rainy season when the dam releases excess water. So you can well-imagine the havoc that 103 dams could wreak on the people of this region,” says Pegu.
He further added: “And remember that according to current rules, there is no provision for studying the environmental impact of dams downstream beyond a radius of 100 km. This rule has to be changed. Only then we can force the Arunachal government to backtrack on its commitment to build several dams in the state.”
Barua concurs: “These dams will, surely, affect marine life downstream.” He alleges that people with “vested interests in Arunachal took one of our reports and distorted it to suit their needs.” And just how bad could the impact be? “Assam’s groundwater level will fall if these dams are built. For all you know, the state could turn into another Rajasthan,” he said. But all these claims have failed to move the government in Itanagar.
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