Several dams have been destroyed in the flood ravaged state of Uttarakhand. When the waters of the Alaknanda rose without any prior warning on June 15, the Vishnuprayag run-of-the-river hydro electric project (400 MW) built near Lambagarh district Chamoli was one of the first dams to be destroyed by debris brought in by the overflowing river.
The Vishnuprayag power project was the first PPE project to be started in Uttarakhand and was being implemented by Jaiprakash Power Ventures.
The NHPC owned 280 MW Dhauliganga power station located in Pithoragarh has also suffered major damages apart from various ancillary structures that had been created around it, including roads, residential and non-residential buildings.
Two dams on the Mandakini river, namely Phata- Buyong and the Singoli-Bhatwari, being constructed by the Lanco Mandakini Hydro Project, have also been severely damaged with silt having accumulated in their turbines and tunnels.
Smaller dams on the Kali and Madhaymaheshwar river and being funded by the Asian Development Bank have also been destroyed.
Dehra Dun based Dr Ravi Chopra, director of People’s Science Institute, warned against the 300 big and small dams being proposed over the Himalayas, especially since the deposition of debris from dam construction and mining into rivers accentuates the possibility of flash floods during heavy rains.
The majority of dams being constructed are run-off-the-river projects that require blasting and tunnelling through the mountains.
NGO Matu Jan Sangathan has collected evidence posted on their web site to show that the large-scale damage caused by thick sludge three metres high in the low-lying city of Srinagar was caused largely by the huge amount of muck allowed to collect along the Alaknanda tributary by the 330MW Srinagar Hydro Electric Project. The river burst its banks and swept into the city, causing much destruction.
Dr Chopra attributes this dam construction spree to the fact that projections for hydro- power projects are inflated by 400 per cent.
The Uttarakhand state machinery is expected to start a ground assessment of this damage in the following week.