The Hidden Cost of Hydropower : Environmental hazards and risks of tunneling, excavation and construction in Run of the River Hydropower Projects in Himachal Pradesh

A Summary Note Even as we are at the end of the fifth decade of celebrating the World Environment Day, globally the environmental crisis continues to worsen. One of the solutions to mitigate the climate crisis and green house gas emissions adopted by countries including India has been shifting to renewable energy sources like Hydropower. […]

संकट में पहाड़: जल विद्युत् परियोजनाओं से प्रभावित क्षेत्रों के लिए पुस्तिका प्रकाशित

हिमधरा पर्यावरण समूह ने जल विद्युत् परियोजनाओं से जुड़े मुद्दों और हिमाचल की जनता के इन परियोजनाओं को ले कर अनुभवों पर ‘संकट में पहाड़’ नामक दस्तावेज़ प्रकाशित किया है। कानूनी और नीतिगत जानकारी के अभाव में परियोजना प्रभावित जनता के सामने अपनी समस्याओं के हल निकालने के बहुत कम रास्ते रह जाते हैं। “यह […]

A Himalayan Sell Out : Down To Earth

An article published in Down to Earth by Kesang Thakur & Manshi Asher, members of  Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective The development juggernaut has gained new momentum with the Narendra Modi led BJP government assuming power. There is a new vigour to steam rolling policies, laws or regulatory mechanisms, seen as a threat or obstacles […]

DISAPPEARING LIFELINES OF INDIA’s HYDRO STATE

The Himdhara Team put together a photo exhibition for the India River’s Week 2014 titled ‘Disappearing Lifelines of India’s Hydro State’. The exhibition highlights the impacts of operations, under-construction and planned Hydro projects in the five river basins of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh is India’s largest hydropower producing state and has a planned potential of […]

Photo Essay : When mountains are hollowed …

A Photo Essay on the impacts of blasting and tunneling for hydroprojects (Photos by Sumit Mahar) Tunneling for hydropower project using the blasting technique can be compared to mining or quarrying. It has a series of direct and indirect impacts which have already been documented. Among the most serious impacts of tunneling that are likely to […]

Report of the All women’s fact finding team to Holi, Chamba

On March 25, 2014, 31 women from a nondescript remote village in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh were arrested for protesting against the starting of the work of the 180MW Bajoli Holi Power Project. The opposition to the GMR project is almost 2 years old, but in recent past the situation in the area has become sensitive […]

Action Alert! Tribal Women in Chamba arrested!

31 tribal women in Holi village, Chamba arrested for protest against hydro-project and asserting forests rights 25th March 2014 This evening (25th March 2014), the Chamba Police arrested 31 tribal women of Holi village, Chamba District at the power house site of the GMR promoted 180 MW Bajoli Holi Hydroelectricity Project. The women have been […]

Decision to re-locate GMR Project flawed, says HPSEBL : The Pioneer

Monday, 19 August 2013 | IANS | Shimla | in Chandigarh Himachal Pradesh Government has warned that the decision of GMR Hydro Power Ltd to change the location of its mega hydro power project in the State would prove disastrous. “The decision to shift the powerhouse and headrace tunnel sites from right to left bank […]