Water Scenario in Uttarakhand
By Rajendra Dhasmana (Senior Journalist and a former News Editor with Doordarshana, prominent activist from Uttarakhand)

Curtsy : Citizens Global Platform (Finland and Tanzania)

The government of India re-christened the Department of Irrigation as the Ministry of Water Resources in 1985. It tried hard to revamp the water supply systems and machinery in big cities and small towns too, allowed private agencies to sell clean water and put the environmental clearance clause for opening up an industry, etc. But government could not sell water as it was a Service Provider and water supply is part of service as transport health and cleanliness. If the government has purchased new equipment to clean water, has opened new plants to refine it and has incurred money on the supply system, it is authorised to charge the nominal amount from the users/commuters. But simply because the clean water is much in demand, you cannot sell it like alcohol. If you do this, you should pay part of the amount to the state wherefrom water supply has originated. In case of Delhi, it is not to be Haryana but Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand of the Central Himalayan Region, in fact, is the water tower of northern India as water is available in abundance there. The snow-capped mountains of the Central Himalaya cover the northern part of Uttarakhand. The snow clad mountain peaks of Swargarohini, Bandarpunch, Gangotari series, Kedarkantha, Joonali, Satopanth, Chaukhamba, Kamet, Nandadevi, Kumling, Neekanth, Dunagiri, Trishul, Nandakot and Panchachuli provide enough of snow to support formation of glaciers on the Gangotari, Yamunotari, Bhagirathi, Kharak, east and west Kamet, Khatling, Pindari and Milan peaks. The glacier that is mass of ice fed by snow on the mountains travels down from the slopes of these peaks. With the steep slopes it slowly moves downhill towards the valley. It breaks up in icebergs and melts to take shape of a snow fed river. The Himalayan glaciers are the ever-renewing source of water from the time immemorial. The snow fed Himalayan rivers are perennial and have reasonable flow throughout the year. The quantity of melt water increases during the summer and starts decreasing at the onset of the winter. From July to September, monsoon rain is other factor for the increase in water flow.

The Bhagirathi, Alakananda, Yamuna, Kali and the Ramganga form the river systems of Uttarakhand. a glacier at Gomukh gives birth to Bhagirathi. It takes northwest course where Kedarganga joins it at Gangotari, Jarganga at Bhaironghati, Asi and Varuna at Uttarkashi (Varanasi; northern), Bhilangana at Ganesh Prayag (Tehri) and Alakananda at Dev Prayag. The Alakananda comes into existence from the glaciers at the eastern slopes of the Chaukhamba group of peaks and joins Dhauli Ganga at Vishnu Prayag. Patalganga, Rudraganga, Garudganga and Virahiganga join Alakananda before Nand Prayag while Mandakini at Rudra Prayag. The confluence of Bhagirathi and Alakananda at Dev Prayag gives birth to Ganga (the Ganges). The Yamuna river originates from Yamunotri glacier on the southwest slope of Bandarpuch peak. Tons rises from the north of the Bandarpuch peak and have Supin and Rupin as its tributaries. Tons, the major tributary, meets Yamuna near Vikas Nagar.

Ramganga (Western) rising from the Lobha Patti of Chamoli, reaches southern side of Kumaon. It has tributaries both from Garhwal and Kumaon. Draining through the dense forests of Corbett National Park it enters the plains at Kalagarh. 

In Kumaon region of the Central Himalaya, the major rivers are Ram Ganga (Eastern), Gomati, Saryu, Kali Nadi, Gori Ganga and finally the Sharada. Kosi, Gagas and Gola are the minor rivers of Kumaon like eastern Nayar, western Nayar, Respona, Bindal, Chandrabhaga of Garhwal and Dehradun.

Most of the tributaries except a few like Pindar, Supin and Rupin are originating from the lakes of underground water. Scientists are worried about glaciers receding because of global warming. But the rivers, which are not snow-fed, are also showing lesser volume of water owing to uncertain cycles of seasons, lesser cover of trees and negligence of people in keeping up the traditional systems of harvesting the rain water.

Water as resources is used for generating hydropower. The installed power generation capacity in the country as on March 31, 1998 was 89166 MW including 64150 MW thermal, 21891 MW hydroelectric, 2225 MW Nuclear and 900 MW wind.

The total hydropower potential of the country has been assessed at 84004 MW. So far only 25 percent of the potential has been exploited. The total hydropower potential of Uttarakhand has been assessed at 9744 MW of which 1127 MW has already been developed and around 118 MW is under development. This leaves around 77 per cent of the total potential untapped. However the latest estimate of the experts say that the hydro power potential of Uttarakhand ranges between 20,000 and 40,000 MW.

The current hydropower policy of the Government of India has provisions in Central and State budgets with supplementary funding from Power Financing Corporation. The private sector participation is being sought in developing hydroelectric projects. The mega hydro project is nearing completion in Tehri. Its second phase will see Koteshwara also completed. At Banbassa, a 94 MW project is ready for years but generation during the winter goes down to the level of 24 MW at times. It is expected that when another mega Sharada project is over it will supply surplus water to Banbassa to enable it to maintain consistency in generation of power.

The State Government has thrown offers to private hands to build over 43 hydel power stations of less than 25 MW capacity, 13 of 25 MW capacity and around ten of 80 to 100 MW capacity. Meanwhile, NTPC has also entered the hydropower scenario in Uttarakhand. NPCC was already there since Banbassa project. NTPC and NPCC are not interested in small projects as they are of the view that the smaller projects also attract same amount of attention and headache. The 'headache' part of the problem could not be understood in the beginning but the first small project given to one Swasti Power Engineering Limited (having its Registered Office in Delhi) proved that these projects would actually create difficulties for the inhabitants. The company is facing opposition from the villagers of Falinda near Ghansali in Tehri Garhwal district on the ground that their project will take away through tunnel the entire water of their use. The State Government has deployed PAC, a paramilitary force, there and has been trying to construct the project forcibly. The villagers are up against the project and more than 150 villagers were arrested by the state government by mid-March 2005.

In fact, most of the hydropower projects were given to the private parties before the state of Uttarakhand came into existence. This is the most unfortunate thing for a newly born state that its land and water had already been sold before it came into being. And on top of that, most of the MoUs were signed after the Uttar Pradesh assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in 1994 to grant statehood to Uttarakhand region. Let us take the case of Falinda Hydro Power Project in Tehri district. The MOU of this project was executed between M/s. Swasti Power Engineering Ltd. and the Government of Uttar Pradesh on the 2nd of January 1997. Earlier, the site selection studies commenced in Jan 1995 and MoU for allocation of the site was signed in February 95, though the land was actually acquired in August 1997. Debt Finance Sanction by World Bank (through IREDA) was accorded in February 1997 and Foreign Investment Promotion Board Clearance came almost simultaneously. Commencement of the construction work was due in November 1997 and the project was to be commissioned in November 1999. But the inhabitants of Falinda and nearby villages came to know about the project in 2004 only. Visits by the company and U.P. Government officials had started in 1995 itself during the Site selection studies. During their visits, the officials of both the parties did not disclose their intentions before the villagers and said they were deputed by UP Government to study possibilities of improving irrigation facilities in the area.

The construction work at the site has not yet started, as there is opposition from the affected villagers. They have been organizing sit-in at the project site and the authorities know not what to do. They never knew that telling lies would cost this much. The point is that why in a democratic set up why should the affected people not be taken into confidence before entering into any MoU affecting them? The MoU signed by the U.P. Government gave permission to the company to build a hydro power project of 11 megawatt only. After the formation of Uttarakhand state in November 2000, the interim government allowed the power company to increase the project capacity to 22.5 MW against a fresh payment of Rs.55.24 crore by the year 2004.

The present confrontation between the affected villagers and the State Government can be solved by dropping one component of 11 megawatt, the benefits of which would go to UP Government only. By doing this, some of the water would be saved for the villagers' need. A proper understanding between the two parties can be brought about in a roundtable meeting. Once it is done, it would facilitate construction on other projects. Why should the Uttar Pradesh government figure among projects being built in a newly-born state of Uttarakhand?

Mining in the Central Himalaya is yet another risk signal. It is going to be hazardous to the very existence of the mountains themselves. A high mountain, namely, Askot, will be dug for around 14 minerals available at one place. By and by the entire mountain will come tumbling down to earth, giving way to an ecological risk of multi-dimensional capacity. The UP government before the formation of Uttarakhand state also signed this MoU. It is yet not known why the government of the new State has agreed to that MoU.