India's unplanned hydropower dams and tunnels disrupt Himalayan landscapes
a day ago
- #Himalayas
- #Infrastructure
- #Hydropower
- Uttarakhand, known as the 'land of gods' and India's energy state, has ideal conditions for hydroelectric power due to its fast-flowing rivers and high altitudes.
- The Tehri dam in Garhwal is India's highest dam, leveraging the region's rivers and mountains for hydropower and other renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
- Ladakh's Zoji La pass, surrounded by the Trans-Himalayas' rugged terrain, is biodiverse and serves as a critical military route to the Indo-Chinese border.
- The Zoji La tunnel, set to be Asia's longest, aims to ensure year-round military access and economic development but disrupts fragile ecosystems with blasting and pollution.
- Hydropower contributes 14.3% of global renewable energy by converting water flow into electricity, but its development in the Himalayas is causing environmental degradation.
- Joshimath in Uttarakhand is experiencing severe land subsidence, with over 850 homes deemed uninhabitable due to cracks, accelerated by hydropower projects and poor urban planning.
- Satellite data shows Joshimath sank 5.4cm in 12 days (Dec 2022–Jan 2023) and 9cm from April–November 2022, linked to the Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower project's completion.
- Locals in Joshimath and Leh report that infrastructure projects prioritize economic and military goals over ecological and community safety, using dynamite and causing deforestation.
- Unplanned development in Joshimath and Zoji La highlights the conflict between economic/geopolitical ambitions and environmental/community protection in fragile Himalayan regions.