North East Watch

R Dutta Choudhury

Guwahati, August 10, 2008: The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has agreed to undertake a detailed study on the cumulative effects of proposed hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh in the downstream areas of Assam following a request by the North Eastern Power Coordination Committee, an umbrella organization of the Power Ministers of the States of the region. Assam Power Minister, Pradyut Bordoloi told The Assam Tribune that the Government of Assam is very much concerned about the possible ill-effects of the proposed hydropower projects in the neighbouring States, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh and the issue was discussed thoroughly in the recently held meeting of the North Eastern Power Coordination Committee. The meeting decided to request the CEA to undertake detailed studies on the possible cumulative effects of the hydropower projects in the North-east in the downstream areas and the Central organization has agreed to do the same.

Bordoloi, who chaired the meeting held in the head office of the Power Grid Corporation in Gurgaon near Delhi, pointed out that the recent devastation in Lakhimpur because of release of excess water from the Ranganadi power project of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) was an eye opener and the State Government is very much concerned about the possible effects of hydropower projects in the neighbouring States in the downstream areas in Assam. He said that the hydropower potential in Arunachal Pradesh has been estimated to the tune of around 55,000 MW and the government of the neighbouring State has already decided to establish around 120 to 135 hydropower projects in different locations. For establishment of hydropower projects, clearance from three agencies – Central Water Commission, Central Electricity Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Environment and Forest is required. But normally the environmental impact study of the projects is carried out for individual projects in a radius of around 20 km but the Assam Government wants a cumulative study of all the projects that are coming up.

Bordoloi admitted that at present, Assam is heavily dependent on hydropower as around 80 percent of the power requirement of the State is met from the hydropower projects. But at the same time, Assam cannot overlook the possible ill-effects of the proposed hydropower projects and a detailed study in this regard is a must, he added.

Meanwhile, the recent meeting of the coordination committee, held on August 7 and 8 and attended by the Power Ministers of all the NE States, barring Arunachal Pradesh, also decided to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister with a series of demands on the development of power sector in the region. Bordoloi said that the Power Ministers of the NE States would try to meet the Prime Minister by the end of this month.

The meeting demanded that the Government of India should launch a power transmission highway for transfer of power from the projects located in the remote areas to all the nook and corner of the region. Bordoloi said that at present the major power transmission lines are laid by the Power Grid Corporation and all the beneficiary States are to spend heavily on the same. If the Government of India can spend heavily on the National Highway projects, there is no reason why the Centre cannot invest on power transmission, which is a must for development of the power scenario in the region, Bordoloi added.

The Power Minister also pointed out that the North-east States, particularly Assam, depend heavily on hydropower, which is not a healthy sign and the State always face severe shortage of power in the lean season. He said that the ideal hydro-thermal power ration should be 60:40 but in case of Assam, 80 percent of the power requirement is met by power generated in the hydropower projects. The coordination committee has seriously discussed the issue and demanded that the States of the region should get priority in allocation of power generated in the thermal power projects being commissioned by the Central Government organizations in the North-east.

Source: Assam Tribune