Hydropower projects in the Himalaya should be reconsidered given recent crisis

Source: The post is based on an article “Hydropower projects in the Himalaya should be reconsidered given recent crisis” published in The Indian Express on 6^th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Environment

Relevance: environmental impact of hydropower project and alternative to it.

News: Joshimath land subsidence has raised concerns over the hydropower projects in Himalayas. This article discusses the impact and alternatives to hydropower.

What is a hydropower?

It is a renewable source of energy. It is often considered green energy because it generates electricity from the natural flow of water without releasing any emissions. It does not rely on fossil fuels.

However, it also brings concerns and threats to the environment, especially in the Himalayan region.

What are the concerns with the Hydropower projects?

Most countries in the Himalayan region, including India have built or are planning to build hydropower projects in the Himalaya. The Indian government has identified hydropower as a key renewable energy source.

However, the construction of the hydropower in Himalayas brings various concerns.

The concerns are – a) can bring conflicts over water resources in the region, b) can disrupt the flow of rivers, leading to changes in water temperature and chemistry, c) dams can also cause erosion, landslides, and sedimentation which can have a negative impact on the local environment, d) Dams also disrupt the migration patterns of fish and other aquatic species and impact the local wildlife, e) large-scale dams displace local communities, affecting their livelihoods and cultural heritage and impacting the overall well-being of the local population.

Therefore, it is beneficial to look for alternatives to hydropower projects.

What can be the alternative to hydropower?

Micro hydro is a small-scale hydroelectric power generation system that generates up to 100 kilowatts (kW) of electricity.

These systems use the energy of falling water to generate electricity. They can be used for various applications such as powering homes, businesses, and small communities.

They are less expensive to build and maintain than large hydroelectric dams and have a smaller environmental footprint.

They can be located even in inaccessible areas where it is difficult to transmit electricity from larger power stations and can provide a reliable source of energy to communities that are not connected to the grid.

They can be used to minimise the ecosystem’s negative impact and provide sustainable energy solutions. However, even they have some impact on the environment but the impacts are less when compared to large hydropower dams.