20 Jan 2023 Etalin hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh

Etalin hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh

This article covers “Daily current events “and the topic is” Eurasia and the current geopolitical situation” which is in news, it covers the “International relationship” In GS-2,following content has relevance for UPSC. 

 For Prelims: Etalin hydropower, Dir and Tangon rivers

For Mains: GS-3, Infrastructure

Why in news:

• Etalin hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh was recently abandoned in its current condition.
• The strategy included two limited-storage run-of-the-river plans that required building concrete gravity dams on the Tangon and Dri rivers.
• Since its beginning in 2008, it has encountered a number of problems due to worries about ecological harm, forest invasion, and tribe displacement.

Etalin hydropower project

About the Etalin hydropower project

• A 3097 MW project called Etalin HEP is based on the Dibang River.
• It is planned to be a run-of-the-river project on the Dri and Tangon rivers in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley District.
• Arunachal Pradesh and Assam share the Dibang River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• Through the joint venture business of Jindal Power Limited and Hydro Power Development Corporation of Arunachal Pradesh Limited, Etalin Hydro Electric Power Company Limited, the project is being carried out.
• In terms of installed capacity, it is anticipated to rank among India’s largest hydroelectric projects.

Significance of the Tangon River and Dir river:

The significance of the Dir and Tangon rivers in Arunachal Pradesh, India, both of which are tributaries of the Dibang River (a tributary of the Brahmaputra), is as follows:

• Both rivers provide water for cultivation and hydropower generation, which helps to shape the region’s general hydrology.
• Ecological: A variety of unique and endangered species of plants and animals can be found in the Dir and Tangon rivers.
• Tourist Attraction: The Dibang, the Dir, and the Tangon rivers are all well-known for their picturesque splendor.

Concerns Associated with the project

• Geological and Seismic Risks: In 2015, as environmental clearance (EC) for the project was being processed, the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, and People (SANDRP) emphasised the geological and seismic risks as well as dangers to biodiversity.
• Environmental Impact: The project will entail building a sizable dam on the Dibang River, submerging a sizable portion of forest and wildlife habitat.
• Displacement of Local Tribes: The project will force thousands of people—many of them members of indigenous communities who depend on the Dibang River for their livelihood—out of their homes and livelihoods.
• Impact on River Ecosystem: The project will alter the river’s natural flow, which would impact fish migration and reproduction.
• On local communities that depend on fishing for a living, this would have a negative effect. Local communities might be uprooted as a result, which would have a substantial negative influence on the biodiversity of the area.
• Recent Issue Development: The Arunachal Pradesh government has been urged by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) to start afresh and submit the project plan once more.

 Source:

• Downtoearth.org.in
• Science.the wire.in

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