Discuss the prospects, challenges and implications of hydropower production in the Himalayan states of India.

Answer.

Introduction:

Hydroelectric power is one of the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy which uses the natural flow of moving water to generate electricity. As per the Central Electricity Authority, India has assessed hydropower potential of about 1,45,320 MW (excluding the small hydropower projects), out of which 29% has been developed and nearly 10% is under construction. The contribution of the Himalayan rivers in total installed hydropower capacity in India stands lower than that of the Peninsular rivers, which underscores the need to focus on leveraging the untapped potential of the Himalayan states.

The Body-

Prospects of hydropower production in Himalayan states:

Hydropower potential is high in the northern and north-eastern regions of India. Arunachal Pradesh has the largest unexploited hydropower potential of 47 GW, followed by Uttarakhand with 12 GW.

• Perennial rivers: India has been blessed with perennial Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus, which have large catchment areas compared to the Peninsular rivers that offer huge potential for the development of hydropower projects.
• Voluminous rivers: The Himalayan rivers, on account of receiving waters from both glaciers and monsoon, have high volumes of water flow that are conducive to generating hydroelectricity. e.g., Tehri, Dam situated at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Bhilganga rivers in the Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
• Favourable features of Himalayan rivers: Hydroelectricity production is supported by characteristics of rivers in Himalayan states, such as energetic steep rivers carving out cascades, gorges, V-shaped valleys and waterfalls. For instance- the Bhakra Nangal dam is constructed on the Sutlej River at the site of Bhakra Gorge near Rupnagar.
• Steep slopes- The high gradient of mountainous states proves advantageous for the generation of hydroelectricity since the kinetic energy of fast-flowing rivers is sufficient to move turbines. Dependable power generation from the peninsular rivers requires impounding of water during the monsoon season, but the Himalayan rivers do not face such a problem since their flow is appreciable even during the critical winter months.
• Demand factor- Given the higher population in North India and increasing thrust on industrial and agricultural growth, the exploitation of hydropower potential in the Himalayan states will be advantageous. Hydropower is highly relevant for grid integration of renewable energy and for balancing infirmities.
• Favourable policies- The government has set a target of achieving renewable energy installed capacity of 450 GW by 2030 as a carbon-offsetting measure in the wake of Climate Change. So, the thrust on green and cheap, non-fossil fuel-based energy sources is being encouraged, which has led to hydropower contributing roughly 12 per cent of the power generated in 2020-21. Large hydropower projects have been recognised as renewable energy sources in the year 2019.

Challenges concerned:

• Tectonic instability- The Himalayan states fall under seismic zones 4 and 5, where the Indian plate is considered to be still thrusting against the Eurasian plate, often inducing earthquakes in the region. The creation of hydropower projects in such fragile regions further raises concerns of reservoir-induced earthquakes as well. E.g.; Tehri dam
• Concerns over slope stability- The hydropower projects in the Himalayan region involve deforestation and blasting activities to cut the rocks that have an adverse effect on slope stability. This results in landslides and floods that are devastating.
• Siltation- The Himalayas being young fold mountains experience high levels of erosion. This causes the sediment load to accumulate in the rivers, which poses hurdles in hydropower projects such as heavy siltation. The costs of construction, maintenance and operation of such projects increase as a result.

The Joshimath land subsidence because of Tapovan Vishnugarh project is a case in point.

• Transboundary nature of rivers- Damming of rivers such as the Indus and Brahmaputra on account of being trans-national often a cause of conflict between India and its neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan. For instance– dispute between India and Pakistan regarding Kishenganga, Baglidhar, Pakal Dul, Lower Kalnai etc.
• Inter-state conflicts- The Subansiri hydroelectric power project demonstrates the disputes between the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The construction of dams by upper riparian states and issues concerning dam mismanagement and control often cause problems for the lower-riparian states.
• Environmental clearances- The progress on hydropower projects is often hindered by inordinate delays in granting of environmental clearances to the projects. Several HEPs were dropped or had their design and capacity modified due to environmental considerations.
• Land acquisition issues- Large hydropower projects demand vast swathes of land, which results in protests by locals on account of loss of livelihood and unsatisfactory rehabilitation and compensation. Due to the low skill sets of the population in the Himalayan states, the youth face challenges in finding suitable new employment.
• Climate Change- The rapidly retreating glaciers, changing monsoon patterns, and growing frequency of extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, floods, glacial lake outbursts etc., add to the apprehensions regarding the feasibility of hydropower projects in the ecologically fragile and geologically young landform in India. More research and studies on the impacts of Climate Change and the feasibility of such projects need to be undertaken.

IMPLICATIONS OF HYDROPOWER PROJECTS

Positive Implications

• Energy security- The decisions pertaining to coal phase-out in the long run and the rising energy needs of the economy necessitate hiking the share of non-fossil fuel energy resources in which electricity produced from hydropower from Himalayan rivers will play a crucial role.
• Addressing energy poverty- There are still many pockets of the Himalayan states that lack access to reliable 24*7 electricity. Leveraging the electricity potential of the Himalayan states will prove to be a boon.
• Industrial development- Reliable power is one of the deciding factors for industrial location and development. Utilising energy production from Himalayan rivers would usher industrial growth and help balance regional growth in the country.
• Achieving INDCs: Hydropower being a renewable energy resource, would help India achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions, such as ensuring at least a 40% of share of non-fossil fuels-based installed energy capacity by 2030.

Negative Implications

• Change in e-flow- The construction of dams and reservoirs tends to change the natural water flow and chemistry, which has a direct bearing on the whole river ecosystem, thus adversely influencing the flora and fauna of the region.
• Flash floods- The breaking of dams may cause devastating flash floods skin to Kedarnath floods, claiming the lives of many.
• Loss of livelihood: The local population getting displaced due to the construction of dams and reservoirs find it difficult to sustain their lives, because their traditional occupations are affected, and secondly, they often have low-level skills that increase unemployment and distress further.
• Loss of biodiversity- The loss of habitats due to deforestation and damming of rivers is likely to accelerate the rate of extinction of already endangered species, such as the Gangetic River dolphin, and Bengal Tigers, among many others. The Himalayas are one of the 4 biodiversity hotspots of India.
• Contamination of groundwater- Studies indicate increased levels of water pollution due to increased load of salinity and heavy metals in the groundwater.
• GHG emissions- The growing body of evidence suggests the release of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide from the man-made water reservoirs due to aerobic and anaerobic degradation of organic matter in the water.
• Noise pollution- The local population of the Himalayan states complain of high noise pollution from the construction and operation of large hydropower projects.

Conclusion:

Official data indicates that only about 10,000 MW of hydropower could be added over the last 10 years. However, roughly 12,340 MW of hydropower capacity addition is planned by 2026. Barring a few small projects in central and southern India, most are in the North and North-eastern states. For making these projects successful and sustainable, it is vital to address the key challenges associated with them and bring in expertise from developed nations like the USA and Europe, which have already developed over 70-80% of their total hydroelectricity potential. The launch of the geospatial energy map of India streamlined processes for clearances and river interlinking are good steps in this direction.