Hydro projects: Development Conflicts,

Displacement and the Media

Tongam Rina, India

Introduction• Associate Editor with The Arunachal Times, a

premier English daily published from Itanagar, the capital city.

• Working on issues of Hydro Project related development and displacement of indigenous communities

• Trying to create awareness among local Project Affected People on the consequences of mega hydro projects, to enable them to ventilate their opinions facilitating community participation

Background to Arunachal Pradesh

Background to Arunachal Pradesh

• Area of 83,743 Sq. Km. • The entire State falls under seismic zone-V • fragile geology due to young mountain

formation system• The total population 10, 97,968 (2001 census)• population density only 13 persons per Sq.

Km. • percentage of tribal population to the total

population is 64.22 % • About 80 distinct ethnic groups

Background to Arunachal Pradesh

• highest forest cover in the country

- 82.21 % is under forest cover

• Out of the total 153 genera of terrestrial mammals in India, 85 are found here

• 20,57,461 Ha of Reserved / Protected Forests

• 5 major river basins

Hydro Power Facts

Studies conducted by Central Electricity Authority project Arunachal as having hydro potential of more than 50000 MW of installed capacity

Name of Project InstalledCapacity

(in MW)

TAWANG DISTRICT 16500

WEST KAMENG DISTRICT

2000

EAST KAMENG DISTRICT

3000

KURUNG KUMEY DISTRICT 3050

LOWER SUBANSIRI DISTRICT ***

UPPER SUBANSIRI DISTRICT

30

WEST SIANG DISTRICT 2100

UPPER SIANG DISTRICT 10180

Hydro Power Facts

EAST SIANG DISTRICT 5000

LOWER DIBANG VALLEY 2000

UPPER DIBANG VALLEY DISTRICT 950

LOHIT DISTRICT 500

ANJAW DISTRICT 13530

CHANGLANG DISTRICT 100

TIRAP DISTRICT 50

Grand Total

58,990

Hydro Power Facts

• On the flip side, there are the displacement figures

Name of Project Submergence Area

People Affected

Subansiri Basin 14054 Ha 26 villages(Approx. 600

persons)

Siang Basin 58111 Ha 52 villagesApprox. 10,000

persons)

Representative figures of 2 major basins

Displacement Facts

Displacement Facts

• But these figures have not been made public or accessible

• Which really is the key issue in regard to hydro projects in AP

Information Gap

• Due to almost nil accessibility to information on laid down norms and guidelines for large hydro-projects, people at the grass root level are not in a position to formulate informed and long-term decisions

• People of the state do not have access to information. Public hearings are largely influenced by project proponents in connivance with influential local leaders

Revelations

• There are various undercurrents in the hydro power scenario in Arunachal Pradesh.

• As a resource starved state, local people look at these projects as a source of income, development and employment.

• Concerns of environmental hazards, seismology of the region, displacement and rehabilitation, upstream and downstream impacts hardly matter.

Revelations• In this age of Information

Technology, Arunachal Pradesh must be the only state where internet is yet to become the a major source of information.

• Only about 10% have access to the Internet

Revelations

• Information on EIA, etc not made widely accessible to the people.

• Rural people, who are the actual affected, remain aloof from all decisions taken regarding the projects like rehabilitation policies, DPRs and public hearings.

• No mechanism exists through which the ‘big picture’ is being shared and talked about

What are the alternatives?

• The local media, both print and television could act as information channels

• But analysis shows that without many influential and informed civil society organizations, the media which itself is in an infant stage, has failed to create informed public opinion on such projects.

• With only state-run radio as the most common mass medium, other independent media forms remain accessible by only about 5% of the total population.

• In these circumstances, it is almost impossible to initiate a public debate and create informed opinions. Also, with weak media houses, the state and project proponents remain uninfluenced by whatever little protests or opinions that emanate every once a while.

What are the alternatives?

What needs to be done now

• Sensitize media persons and indigenous civil society organizations on rights of indigenous people to promote their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them

• Local media to emerge as a proactive platform for dialogue on issue

What needs to be done now

• More media writings to create awareness on power project issues

• Giving additional “news space” to civil society in order to maximize their outreach