Evaluation of Environmental Impacts of Major River Valley Projects: Case Studies

摘要

Hydro power is a proven renewable source of electrical energy. It has an unquestionable edge over other sources of energy with minimum adverse impact on the environment. The likely adverse impact of hydro power scheme can be adequately taken care of by taking appropriate mitigation measures. Yet it is most unfortunate that hydro power development in India is facing the maximum opposition from Environmentalists. There is no realisation of the fact that in the last four decades of development after Independence we were able to build major water resources projects very successfully, which have made a major contribution to the industrial development as well as "Green Revolution" in India. With regard to assessment of environment impacts of hydro projects one major constraint is absence of proper methodology to quantitatively assess the ecological impacts. Quantitative appreciation of ecological impact may be easy to have but its quantification is extremely complex and not easy to make. This results in delay in decisions and when ever taken, they are effected more by bias and sometimes vested interests, rather than scientific logic. As would be apparent from the case histories of some recent projects discussed in the foregoing paras, there is growing awareness about the need to take all the necessary mitigation measures to minimise/prevent any adverse impacts due to hydro developments. Yet Environmentalists continue to have their prejudices and appreciations about water resources projects and entertain doubts about the effectiveness of mitigation measures. Such doubts can be clarified on the basis of dispassionate and scientific assessment of impacts and post project evaluation of changes on the basis of actual data vis-a-vis pre-construction scenario.