OneWorld.net (U.S.)

The Arunachal Pradesh (AP) government has decided not to undertake or allow construction of any new reservoir-based mega-dams in the state, chief minister Geogang Apang announced at the National Development Council meeting at Delhi, held on June 27-28 2005. The state had already conveyed its decision to the Union government through a letter on May 16, 2005. The Centre was shocked; it had no inkling.

The move is also bound to create consternation within the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (nhpc), which has the mandate to build mega-dams in the state; it is currently in-charge of 25 projects (see table: The unlucky 25). “Huge reservoirs create displacement problems and submerge large tracts of land. Consequently, the rehabilitation process becomes much more complicated,” state chief secretary Ashok Kumar told Down To Earth, adding, “The 20 large projects planned by the central public sector (read nhpc) would be thoroughly reviewed.” A bitter wrangle, involving nhpc, the state government and the Centre is certainly in the offing. Reactionary That the decision partly stems from the state government’s constant feud with nhpc became clear when Apang further announced that the state’s prior approval would be a must before any hydroelectric project is proposed. The controversy surrounding ap’s first mega project, the 2,000 megawatt Subansiri Lower Project (slp) in Lower Subansiri district, is the most glaring instance of the tussle (see Down To Earth, ‘Truth is more slippery’, May 15, 2005). ap has constantly accused nhpc of keeping it in dark about the project, its progress and also the ongoing litigation on it in the Supreme Court (sc).

While allowing diversion of forest areas for the project, the sc has imposed restrictions, including the demand to create a sanctuary or national park over the reserve forests in the river’s watershed. It has also banned any other projects on the river; nhpc has planned eight others, all reservoir based. The state government now accuses nhpc of jeopardising future projects by not contesting the case properly. It also charges it with short-changing the government on its demands of providing employment, small contracts and the statutory 12 per cent free power and undertaking rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people. Source: The Centre for Science and Environment