Lok Sabha Question No. 3099 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Impact of Hydro Power Projects
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: S. Jagathrakshakan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3099

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2021

## Impact of Hydro Power Projects

## 3099.  SHRI S. JAGATHRAKSHAKAN:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the  Government is aware that hydropower projects, apart from  amplifying disaster  threaten  environmental  flows,  water  quality,  and  the  health  of  aquatic  and terrestrial ecosystems and the projects are also facing risks from climate crisis-related flow variations, extreme events, erosion and sedimentation, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)/ landslide dam outburst floods (LDOFs);
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the preventive steps taken/being taken by the Government keeping in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) to (b) According to Geological Survey of India (GSI) both Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) and Landslide Lake Outburst Flood (LLOF) are natural hazard events, whose impacts may pose risks to any infrastructure available in the downstream of any mountainous catchment. The  GSI  is  engaged  in  scientific  investigation  of  Glaciers  and  it  has  compiled  inventories  of glacier lakes in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir. The GSI has also prepared and published an inventory of Himalayan Glaciers in the Indian Himalaya.
- (c). The  hydro  power  projects  are  designed  considering  the  reservoir  gross  capacity  and hydraulic  head  following  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  (BIS)  criteria  which  can  handle  the extreme events like GLOFs and LDOFs. The climate crisis related to flow variations, extreme events, erosion and sedimentation are analyzed in detail while fixing the hydrological parameters of the project, at the time of preparation DPR of Hydro Power projects/ River Valley Projectsas per guidelines for preparation of Detailed Project Report of Irrigation and Multipurpose Projects of  Central  Water  Commission  (CWC)  published  in  the  year  2010.  The  spillway  capacity  of Hydro  Power  projects  is  also  taken  into  consideration  while  designing  such  projects.  Further, incase of Himalayan rivers the glacial outburst floods (GLOFs), apart from design flood, is also considered  for  the  safety  of  the  structure,  while  designing  any  Hydro  Power  projects/  River Valley Projects.

Monitoring of e-flows is being carried out by CWC along with monitoringof size of 477 glacial lakes and water bodies from June to October every year in the Himalayan Region, which have area more than 50 hectare. The Glacial Lake monitoring helps in assessment of any untoward growth in size of lakes and subsequently conducting Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) study. The monitoring report is shared with concerned Himalayan States and other stakeholders.

The  Ministry  of  Power  (MoP)  has  formed  a  Committee  on  Early  Weather  Warning  System including that related to formation/movement of glaciers/ glacial lakes to be put in place in the hilly regions particularly where Hydro Electric Projects are located.

Moreover,  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  at  the  time  of  grant  of Environmental  Clearance  to  the  Hydro  Power  Projects  consider  the  various  activities  to  be undertaken under Disaster Management Plan viz Dam Break Analysis, E-Flow, Catchment Area Treatment Plan, Reservoir Rim Treatment Plan, Protection of landslide areas/ Vulnerable zone, greenbelt development, muck disposal plan, Early Warning System etc. to mitigate the impacts of such natural hazards.

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