India China (Configurations: Critical Studies Of World Politics) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Published: 2021-03-10T16:00:00+00:00

Sikkim: Hydroelectric Power Projects on the Teesta River

Sikkim, formerly an independent Himalayan kingdom under the Chhogyal lineage, joined the Indian Union in 1975 as a state. Since then, Sikkim has become a prominent tourist destination. Majestic peaks, lakes and waterfalls, forests, an excellent climate, trekking and mountaineering opportunities, and the numerous Buddhist monasteries attract tourists from India and abroad. Moreover, due to the present state government’s numerous proenvironment policies, such as the Green Mission, Sikkim has earned the reputation of being a model among states in India for implementing policies that underscore environmental sustainability in areas such as agriculture, tourism, and urban planning. And, in terms of geopolitics, Sikkim holds a significant location in India’s security discourse given its position in India’s Northeast within close proximity to China.

Contemporary debates and antidam activism around hydroelectric power (HEP) on the Teesta River in Sikkim reflect a larger discourse on India’s development and energy generation. The government of India has historically viewed hydroelectric projects “as the most economic and preferred source of electricity” (Government of India 2011, 1). Given the acknowledged desirability of hydro electricity, the Indian government identified several “objectives for accelerating the pace of hydro power development” (Government of India 2011, 1). These objectives might be summarized as follows: an ongoing emphasis on hydropower in future plan periods, increasing private investment, and emphasis on building a tripartite partnership between the private sector and the central and state governments. Moreover, one of the specific “Policy Instruments” to expedite the development of India’s hydro potential focuses on the promotion of direct private investments in hydropower projects.

India’s Northeast, endowed with an estimated 37 percent of India’s river waters and having been identified with the potential of contributing 41.5 percent of India’s hydropower capacity, is seen as a storehouse for hydroelectric power generation by policymakers and has been labeled India’s “future powerhouse” (Menon et al. 2003; Mahanta 2010). Indeed, the significance of this region’s rich water and forest resources has not escaped the attention of international organizations such as the World Bank. One among the continuing series of state commitments for HEPs came in May 2003, when Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee unveiled a new hydropower generation scheme, popularly referred to as the “50,000 MW Hydroelectric Initiative,” by commissioning the preparation of a Preliminary Feasibility Report (PFR) of Hydroelectric Schemes. India’s Central Electricity Authority formulated this scheme with sanction from the Ministry of Power. Seven state-affiliated public-sector consultants formulated the PFRs to provide details of the planning, preparation of project and equipment layouts, infrastructure requirements, preliminary environmental and geological studies, cost estimates, and economic evaluation. Completed ahead of schedule in September 2004, the PFRs identified 162 hydroelectric schemes in sixteen states in India with an aggregate installed capacity of 50,560 MW to be executed during the eleventh and twelfth Plan Periods between 2007 and 2017. According to these PFRs, 10 of the 162 hydropower projects were planned for Sikkim: Dikchu, Rongni Storage, Panan, Lingza, Rukel, Rangyong, Ringpi, Lachen, Teesta-1, and Talem for 1,469 MW of power (Central Electrical Authority, Ministry of Power, Government of India 2004).

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