Government to hire experts to evaluate designs of hydropower projects
India will hire external experts to speed up hydropower project evaluations, focusing on key dams in J&K and Arunachal Pradesh amid concerns over Chinese developments.
The Centre has decided to hire outside experts on fixed contracts to evaluate designs of planned hydropower projects, a move aimed at speeding up construction of several dams in the pipeline, an official aware of the details said on Wednesday.
The country plans to expedite construction of a slew of hydroelectric projects to meet its burgeoning power needs, especially in Jammu & Kashmir and the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. It has prioritised the construction of key projects in J&K, including the 930 MW Kirthai II, 240 MW Uri-1 stage II, and 260 MW Dulhasti stage II.
The development comes months after India kept in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, which governed dams on cross-border rivers, following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack which claimed 26 lives.
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), which is mandated to approve designs of large dams, will hire professionals to carry out geological investigations as well as to study and vet detailed project reports, according to a statement uploaded on the agency’s website on Wednesday.
The goal of hiring competent experts, the statement said, is to “cut short the time taken in evaluation/appraisal of chapters so as to expedite concurrence of DPR (detailed project reports) in a time bound manner”.
Apart from the dams in J&K, India is set to construct a high-priority project in Arunachal Pradesh. On August 12, the Union cabinet had approved ₹8,146.21 crore for a 700 MW hydroelectric project, Tato-II, in Arunachal Pradesh’s Shi Yomi district, a move that came weeks after China began construction of what is set to be the world’s largest river dam on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra River.
In July, Chinese Premier Li Qiang had presided over a ceremony marking the start of construction on the $167-billion dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, according to reports in China’s state-run media. The Motuo hydropower station is set to overtake the Three Gorges dam as the world’s largest, sparking concerns in India over its potential impact on the Brahmaputra.
Concerns over the potential impact of the Chinese dam could be a reason behind India’s decision to fast-track projects, including a multi-purpose dam in Arunachal Pradesh known as the Siang Upper multipurpose storage project, to act as a buffer against sudden changes in the flows on the Siang and Brahmaputra rivers.
However, native tribes, such as Arunachal Pradesh’s Adi community, have protested against the proposed Siang Upper multi-purpose storage project, which has an envisaged output of 11,200 MW, due to fears of displacement and loss of livelihood.
The decision to rope in external geological experts had to do with shortage of adequate technical staff in government agencies, which is a reason for considerable delays in clearances, a second official said on anonymity. According to a 2023 estimate of the CEA, India has a hydropower potential of 150 GW and the country’s existing capacity is about 55 GW.
Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), said the government should “not look for any short cuts” in expediting any high risk projects like big hydropower dams in the Himalayas.
“Our experience shows over the years that these projects act like force multipliers during disasters, the frequency, intensity and spread of the disasters is increasing rapidly in the Himalayas. We need honest environment and social impact assessment, we need to take the local community into confidence through credible public consultations,” Thakkar said. “We particularly need independent appraisal, including geological aspects, we also need disaster impact assessment, since these projects are coming up in the vulnerable areas and are likely to increase the disaster potential of the area. We also need confidence inspiring carrying capacity and cumulative impact assessments and also credible monitoring and compliance.”
