Matu Peoples' Organisation

Our soil, Our heritage

Working in Uttarakhand, on the rights of people and the environment.

The Displacement of people is snatching their water,

forest, and land.

Sustainable development is incomplete without

environmental conservation and it becomes impossible
with human displacement.

matujan.blogspot.com
 Why Dams?
According to
South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (www.sandrp.in) :-

-In India, 5100 big dams have led to the displacement of 5.50 crore people.
- 4528 dams have caused the submergence of around 44
lakh hectare land.
-47% of all persons displaced by dams are tribals.
-Even after an investment of more than Rs. two lakh crores, neither has power been
generated nor irrigation taken place in accordance with the declared claims.

Every year in India-

Approx. 30% of the electricity is lost during transmission.

Dams have led to an increase in food grain production by only 10 %
Rats eat 10% of the food grain produced.
 What are big dams?
According to
Central Water Commission of India
and
The International Commission on Large Dams
World Commission on Dams
The following fall in the category of big dams:

Dams higher than 15 meters in height from the foundation

Dams with the height of 5 to 15 metres whose water storage capacity is

more than 30 lakh cubic metres.

Dams which have the irrigation capacity of 10,000 hectare.

 Two kind of
Hydro-Electric Projects
in the Ganga Valley
 Reservoir Hydroelectric projects

Water level is raised by damming up the river. These

dams are of concrete, soil or stone. The water in the
reservoir is pushed into the Power House from one
side and electricity is produced with the help of
turbine. The water from the Power House is then
restored into the river on the other side of the dam.
 Tunnel Hydroelectric Projects
OR
Run-of- the river Hydroelectric Projects

In this type of a project a reservoir is built by

damming across the river. The difference is
that in this kind of a dam the water of the
reservoir is taken through a straight tunnels
cut into the mountain. After a distance of
many kilometers, this water is dropped from
a height on to the turbines and electricity is
produced.
Dams on the
River
Bhagirathi.
Environmental Public
Hearings have
proven to be a farce!
In Run-off-the River projects, apart from land that is submerged, it is also
used to make residential colonies for the project proponents. Further,
project proponents don’t give back land used for labour colonies etc.
Dams have caused the permanent destruction of forests in
Uttarakhand.
According to an estimate, tunnels under-construction for hydro electric
projects are hollowing the mountains in Uttarakhand up to an extent of
nearly 1500 km in length.
 Only 7% cultivable land remains in the mountainous regions. The land
near the river bank is often the most fertile land. Dams either submerge
this land, or put it to related purposes, such as residential colonies for
employees etc.
Because of diminishing agriculture, organic fertilizer
production is threatened.
River banks have become precarious in the whole state of Uttarakhand.
River water is released at unpredictable times for electricity production,
this makes the water current in the river very uncertain.
 In run-off-the river projects, at the point where river water is pushed
into the tunnel, the portion of the river between dam and Power House
is either dry or has very little water in it.
 All prayags (confluences) on the river banks of Devbhoomi (land of
Gods) in Uttarakhand are either being submerged or withering away.
The people of Uttarakhand were once called the residents of this
Devbhoomi, now they are landless oustees.
River water is not available for religious and cultural rituals
like bathing during festivals, funeral rites, river worship etc.
The right of the Locals on the river is lost.
As the river is dry, cattle breeders and people who
live on river banks, don’t get water.
The mountains are becoming weak as tunnels are being dug into whole
river valleys. This leads to an increase in the number of landslides.
Cracks appear in the houses and land, under which tunnels are
built. For this reason, mountains become weak and collapse
under very slight earthquakes. No compensation is paid for this.
 On the Richter scale Uttarakhand comes under 4 & 5
earthquake zone. The Ganga Valley is already affected by
earthquakes. Thousands of people have been killed. The risk of
earthquakes increases with the building of so many dams.
As a result of all the projects undertaken on the Ganga valley,
rivers Bhagirathiganga, Vishnupadiganga Alaknanda and all
their tributaries, no river will be left free.
Use of explosives during tunnelings in run-off-the river projects, cause
natural water sources dry up or change their location. But dam
proponents provide no solutions for this.
The required monitoring of any hydroelectric project is not
being done by either the central or state government.
Problems have multiplied as pre-studies of projects have not
been completed or done in the right way.
 Building several dams, one after another on the same river
creates many negative impacts. There is no cumulative impact
assessment study of the effect of multiple dams on one river.
Dust and debris rise because of dam project work. Fodder for animals is
affected and rendered useless by exposure to explosions. The negative
effects affects forests and areas far and wide.
With the coming of these projects the flowing water of the river
becomes still, this reduces the oxygen quantity of the water.
Tehri Dam reservoir water is said to be unfit for drinking.
 Wild animals are adversely affected by dam projects in
Uttarakhand. As a result of the Tehri Dam reservoir, the terror
of monkeys, wild pigs, bears and tigers has increased in
human populated areas.
Hydroelectric project reservoirs bring negative effects such as
fog, diseases, landslides, and subsidence land around the
reservoir.
 It is common for the dam reservoir to become filled with silt. Since
several dams are being built one after the other, even when silt is
allowed to flow downstream of one dam, it ends up collecting on the
second dam.
River is not safe for the local people.
In the whole state of Uttarakhand, risks from electric
transmission lines are increasing.
 Uttarakhand is in the middle of the Himalayas and so its environment
remains comparatively cooler. Dams lead to increased concretization and
consequently higher temperatures, this negatively effects local crops and
fruits trees.
Thousands of people engaged in dam construction work, live
in one place because of which dirt and disease are rampant.
 Dams affect peoples’ culture, for which there can be no
compensation. The worst effect is on the freedom of women.
Women are specifically affected by Hydro Electric Projects,
with a reduced access to water, and displaced homes etc.
Dam reservoirs produce green house gases which contributes to global warming
also. Kotli-Bhel, Pancheshwar like projects will have 10 to 30 K.M. Or even long
reservoirs.
Where private companies are making dams, even the Right to
Information Act does not apply, and collecting information is
even tougher.
 State government policy ensures
70% employment to local which never
follows.
No lesson is being learnt from earlier
dams.

Why should we invite long lasting

problems?
Rivers should have the
right to flow.
Just Think!
National & State govts. should release a white
paper explaining the realty of Hydro-Power
Projects. Only then should they talk about new
Hydro Electric Projects.
Join us, and lets walk together for the rights of
People and Rivers.