Introspecting renewed Hydropower push in Manipur
- Part 2 -

Jiten Yumnam *

Irang River

Dams as death trap in Manipur: Hydropower Projects like Mapithel dam, Khuga dam, Khoupum Dam, Singda dam etc perform an abnormal function, of claiming the lives of people, especially those who are forced to cross the reservoir to eke out their livelihood or those who came for leisure and tourism in the dam reservoir. Nearly Thirty people already lose their lives in the Khuga Dam, mostly by drowning and capsize of their canoes.

The latest incident occurred when a man named Demkholen Haokip of J Gamnom village drowned on the late afternoon of 29th June 2019. Mapithel dam, though lying useless like a White elephant already claimed Sixteen lives as of August 2019 since the blockade of Thoubal River to fill its reservoir, including the infamous case of loss of three lives on 28 April last. Many lost their lives in Singda dam, Khoupum dam and the reservoirs of Loktak project. Dams are already becoming a death trap in Manipur as the Government failed to initiate safety measures.

Power of Alternative Energy: The need for defining alternative energy needs and for development process is becoming crucial. The consideration of alternative energy is extremely crucial to minimize social, environmental, cultural, biodiversity impacts as efforts are being made to generate Manipur's power requirements. With the prices of solar panel plummeting over the past decade, solar tariffs have declined considerably, from Rs 18 per unit to Rs 2.44 in 2018 . The price of solar energy continues to drop further.

The cost of generation of solar power is set to fall to as low as Rs 1.9 per unit over the next decade through 2030 in India with new technologies boosting efficiency levels, as revealed by a joint study of TERI and US-based think tank Climate Policy Initiative . Manipur has huge potential for micro hydel power projects, which can be promoted along with solar energies as alternate energies.

Building hydropower projects is no longer cost effective. Building a hydel plant can cost Rs 7 to 9 crore per MW, compared with Rs 3.5-4 crore/MW for solar energy. Hydel projects can also take around eight years to be completed, solar plants can be up and running in less than 2 years. Time and cost overruns are much common for hydro projects.

The Mapithel dam remains uncomplete till date since its approval in 1980 and commencement of work in 1990s. The Dolaithabi barrage takes almost thirty years for it to commission despite non completion of canals.

Hydropower has slowly becoming redundant as the main source of energy generation primarily due to the increased viability of other alternative energies, viz, Solar and Wind energy. Hydropower projects are also marred with land acquisition troubles, uncertainty over final costs as well as delayed completion, low tariffs etc.

Undermining Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals: The aggressive push for hydropower projects as renewable energy will undermine all ongoing efforts to realize Sustainable Development Goals. The efforts to realize Goal 7 on Energy with hydropower generation, will directly affect other goals, viz, gender equality, sustainable forest management, access to land and water etc.

The Mapithel dam envisaged for power generation, now directly affected access of communities to their livelihood sources. The access to energy in different goals cannot be ensured without ensuring land rights to communities.

The Tipaimukh dam will submerge 25,822 hectares of forest in Manipur and envisaged to fell 7.8 million trees and 27,000 bamboo groves. The confiscation of forest and agriculture land by these multiple mega projects will undermine the food sovereignty of the indigenous peoples of Manipur and deepen impoverishment of communities, which will undermine Goal 1 and 2 of the SDGs, to reduce poverty and hunger.

The impoverishment of communities and displacement, marginalization of indigenous peoples will further intensify the pattern of conflict in Manipur. The Government's exclusionary move and decision to promote mega dams all over Manipur without consulting the indigenous communities is a violation of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007.

Conclusions: The renewed thrust to build hydro power projects over the Rivers of Manipur needs a serious introspection for its relevance and rationality. Specially, considering the myriad adverse impacts unleashed by hydro power projects, the loss of land and destruction of survival sources of indigenous peoples and the continued lack of accountability of dam building companies and the Government in dam building etc, the renewed thrust for hydropower projects requires a serious review and rethinking.

For long communities are forced to sacrifice their land for mega hydro projects, that will only entail loss and devastation of their land. The colossal amount squandered in failed hydropower projects like Khuga dam, Dolaithabi Barrage, Mapithel dam, Khoupum dam etc, including the cost of maintenance and payment of salaries to officials manning these projects could have been better utilized to improve the lives of the villagers, to improve and diversify their livelihood means and promote alternative energies.

The increased unviability of pursuing hydro power projects and the changing energy scenario with availability of stronger and more viable options from renewable energies like Solar and other feasible options like micro projects should be integrated in the pursuance of energy generation in Manipur, especially considering the fact that solar power cost per unit is declining drastically. Accordingly, the Government need to conduct options assessment and promote alternative energies in Manipur.

The construction of more than Thirty-Two (32) hydro projects in Manipur will unleash colossal impact on the land and forest in Manipur. Some of the mega dams proposed will entail widespread environment, climate and social impacts. Manipur falls in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, a globally recognized area with rich and diverse flora and fauna species and the Tipaimukh dam and other projects will have direct impact on the endangered faunal and floral species.

Indeed, the Forest Advisory Committee of MoEF, Government of India classified the proposed Tipaimukh dam as one of the most destructive projects in India as its forest submergence alone will be equivalent to 497 other hydel projects across India. The submergence of extensive forest and agriculture land will undermine all efforts to realize commitments to Paris Agreements and Sustainable Development Goals of 2015.

The Government of Manipur should conduct a detailed investigation on the failure and under performance of several mega dams of Manipur, primarily with respect to Khuga dam, the Khoupum Dam and now the Dolaithabi Barrage. The increased voices from all nook and corners of Manipur to desist construction of mega dams, such as objection to Chakpi Dam, the Pabram dam, Tipaimukh dam etc should be fully considered by the Government.

All MoUs signed between the Government of Manipur and dam building companies to build Tipaimukh dam, the Loktak Downstream Project, the 190 MW Pabram Dam, Irang dam etc should be revoked. The Government should stop wasting public money for hydro projects that failed to assess the cumulative impacts on people and environment.

Ensuring full recognition of indigenous peoples' self-determined rights over their land and resources, ensuring their rightful participation in development decision making in their land and territories, promoting corporate accountability and reversing the militarization in peoples' land and territories is simply critical to foster sustainable development in Manipur.

The Government of Manipur should really dwell deeper if hydropower projects are really helping the state to progress or to create more hardship for communities or destroying fragile ecosystems and biodiversity in Manipur and accordingly, the Government should rescind all plans to build new hydropower projects in Manipur.

Reference:

1. "32 potential hydro projects in state", The Peoples Chronicle, The 10th August 2019
http://www.thepeopleschronicle.in/daily/english/4098

2. "State seals pact with NEEPCO on 4 new Hydropower Projects", Hueiyen Lanpao, 29 August 2019
http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=20..290814.aug14

3. "Loktak Downstream Project likely to be put into motion Tentative cost pegged at Rs 1300 crore", The Sangai Express, 18 July 2015
http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=6..180715.jul15

4. Loktak Downstream runs into PPA wall, the Sangai Express, 12 February 2018
http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/loktak-downstream-runs-ppa-wall/

5. Loktak Downstream Project in jeopardy, the Sangai Express, 23 August 2017
http://kanglaonline.com/2017/08/loktak-downstream-project-in-jeopardy/

6. "State seals pact with NEEPCO on 4 new Hydropower Projects", Hueiyen Lanpao, 29 August 2019
http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=20..290814.aug14

7. "Farmers to hunger strike against Khuga dam failure", By Alex Guite, Imphal Free Press, 1 July 2019
https://www.ifp.co.in/page/items/59332/farmers-to-hunger-strike-against-khuga-dam-failure/

8. Farmers draw special attention on Khoupum dam project, The Sangai Express, 27 July 2014
http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/page/items/41210/farmers-draw-special-attention-on-khoupum-dam-project

9. Khuga dam JAC apprises PM, The Sangai Express 26 July 2014
http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/page/items/41164/khuga-dam-jac-apprises-pm

10. Defect in tunnel construction is reason for failure of Dolaithabi Barrage: KKDC, The Sangai Express, 4 August, 2019,
http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=22..040819.aug19

11. "Hydel power in India is growing at the slowest pace", By G Seetharaman, The Economic Times.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/hydel-power-in-india-is-growing-at-the-slowest-pace/articleshow/67704776.cms?from=mdr

12. "Solar Power Cost Will Fall to Rs 1.9 Per Unit in India by 2030: TERI", February 14, 2019,
https://www.electronicsb2b.com/headlines/solar-power-cost-will-fall-to-rs-1-9-per-unit-in-india-by-2030-teri/

Concluded