[Assam] article

[anitak goswami]

Dams of progress or damming up progress?
 — Ranen Kumar Goswami 

Development
can be pure disasters, Months ago, people of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji
learnt it the hard way when their villages, paddy fields and with them
their means of livelihood went under the water released from the
Ranganadi Hydro-power project of Neepco in the neighbouring Arunachal
Pradesh. Much more is in store as Neepco (North Eastern Electric Power
Corporation) is unrelenting and the Arunachal Government is determined
to implement many more such projects across the State. Not that only
Assam is at the receiving end, local tribals and their lands are
threatened too.

Dibang valley district of Arunachal Pradesh is
home to the Idu-Mishmis whose total population is about 12,000. The
State Government has plans for 13 large hydel projects in the district.
A major argument put forward in favour of these projects is that there
will be relatively small displacement by submergence as compared to
other parts of the country. In Dibang Valley itself the projects will
attract skilled and unskilled labourers upwards of one lakh for long
periods as they are long gestation projects. Will this not create a
tremendous pressure on the demographic and other socio-cultural
structures of the Idu-Mishmis? This will also render meaningless the
constitutional and legal protection the tribe enjoys as do other tribes
of Arunachal.

Altogether 168 large dams of a cumulative capacity
of 63,328 mega watt have been planned in the North East, identified as
the country’s future powerhouse, Neeraj Vagholikar of Kalpavriksh
Environmental Action Group points out, “several unique features of the
North East–geological fragility, location in a highly seismic zone,
diversity of ethnic communities, a large percentage of which is
dependent on traditional natural resource-based livelihoods, unique
socio-cultural and agro-ecological practices, bio-diversity
richness–pose a challenge to these ambitious plans. As the Centre and
States push for these hydel projects, large dams are emerging as a
major issue of conflict in the region.” To go into the entire issue,
the Human Rights Law Network, an NGO, in collaboration with the
Arunachal Citizens Rights and Nefa Indigenous Human Rights Organisation
organised an Independent People’s Tribunal (IPT), which conducted a
hearing at Itanagar on February 3, 2008. The panel comprised Subhram
Rajkhowa, faculty of law, Gauhati University, Nandini Oza, social
activist and Shripad Dharmadhikary, researcher on dams and water
issues. Earlier on February 2, 2008 the panel visited the Subansiri
(Lower) project dam site and the affected village of Gerukamukh/Durpai
and another village affected by the Ranganadi project. The panel
members met many affected people and heard their versions of the story.
Some of them have their views in writing. The panel in its report says
it had invited representatives from the State government and the
companies involved in building these projects, but none of them turned
up for the hearing nor did they send any written communication to the
panel.

After the on-the-spot feel and the hearing, the panel
came to the conclusion that the dams under construction and in pipeline
are likely to have huge social and environmental impacts, some of which
are already being felt. These impacts not been fully and properly
assessed. In particular, there has been no assessment of the cumulative
impacts of many dams in a river basin or a cascade of dams on a river.
People, likely to be affected, have been excluded from the assessment
process. These dams will displace many people directly by submergence
and are likely to displace many times more this number by affecting
forest resources, fish, land etc on which these communities depend.
There is widespread concern that the resettlement and rehabilitation
policy will not be applicable to the projects in Arunachal as in many
cases the number of affected people has been shown to be less than 250,
the cut-off number. Resources like land, forests, fish, rivers are
attached to various tribes and specifically distributed geographically,
so resources like land are not likely to be available to the displaced
people. Attempts to resettle people of one tribe or clan in areas that
belong to other tribes are likely to lead to ethnic conflicts.

The
panel says the customs, traditions and the very character of local
tribal communities are closely tied to the land, forests, rivers and
other elements of the natural eco-systems. The dam projects will
adversely affect these natural resources. The two factors, influx of
outsiders in large numbers and destruction of the natural eco-systems,
are therefore likely to threaten the very identity and culture of
several communities, who are already endagered due to their small
numbers. The panel points out that the people in the areas where dam
projects are coming up have not been consulted in the process of
planning of the projects or informed about them. In many cases, people
come to know about a project only when the work begins. Majority of the
people around project areas are opposing them and are raising larger
questions like what kind of development these projects will bring. The
report informs that the people affected or likely to be affected by
these issued have been making presentations and submissions through
oral and written petitions and sometimes even organising
demonstrations. But all these have fallen on deaf ears. The State
Government and the companies implementing the projects are reluctant to
pay proper attention to them.

Here is a shocking instance of
Neepco’s callousness as was found out by the panel. The 405 mega watt
Ranganadi Hydro-electric project, stage-1, commissioned in 2002,
involves a dam to divert the flow of the river into the Dikrong river.
It has led to a problem of diminished water flows and also a problem of
sudden high flows in the river. On several occasions the project
releases large quantities of water in the river without any warning
leading to flash flood-like situations. There have been many cases of
cattle being washed away, and some years back one person was swept away
due to the sudden water release. People are now scared of going near
the river and allowing their children to play on its banks. And what
was the Neepco response when the matter was brought to its notice? Not
only was the company cool to the complaints, but as if to overstate its
unaccountability, it issued a circular asking the people to keep away
from the river. Among other things the circular said: “the gates of
Ranganadi diversion dam may require opening from time to time. ----All
villagers, individuals, temporary settlers etc, residing on the banks
of the river and other nearby areas ... on the downstream of the dam
are to refrain from going to the river and also to restrict their pet
animals too from moving around the river..... the corporation will not
take any responsibility for any loss of life of human, pet animals, etc
and damage of property and others.” This circular issued in June, 2006
is with the panel which calls it totally irresponsible.

The
panel suggests that the government of Arunachal Pradesh and the
Government of India take immediate cognizance of the issues raised by
the people. Intense and widespread debates and discussions should be
initiated on the dam construction programme which cover issues like
real costs and impact of the projects, who will actually benefit from
them and in what manner, who will pay the price and also alternative
options for sustainable development. All constructions should be
stopped till a consensus emerges from these discussions, the panel
recommends. Further, it says: “The United Nations Declaration on
Indigenous Rights, December 2007 mandates that free, prior and informed
consent must be taken from the indigenous people before implementing
any hydro project in their area.”

The panel’s findings, the
people’s agonies and other social workers’ concerns naturally provoke a
question in our mind, are these the dams of progress or are they
damming up progress?

(PUBLISHED IN THE ASSAM TRIBUNE ON 31st of DECEMBER, 2008)



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