Petition made to redesign Indian tunnel hydropower projects

A petition was made to redesign all running, under construction and proposed tunnel-based hydropower projects in India.

It was argued that the present design was inadequate to reduce environmental impacts.

Addressing the concerns related to tunnel-based hydropower projects, which require minimum environmental flow to maintain the associated ecosystems in the immediate downstream area of the dam, the renowned economist Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala and others have filed a petition before the Rajya Sabha against construction of barrage and tunnel for all such projects.

The petition was wade before the government assembly to order the Planning Commission, Ministry of Power and Ministry of Environment and Forests to undertake the said redesign.

In the petition, they have recommended construction of a partial obstruction instead of a barrage, and an open canal instead of a tunnel. Building a partial obstruction, for the purpose of diverting water for generation of hydropower, will enable an uninterrupted downward flow of life-nourishing sediments and upward flow of aquatic life, Jhunjhunwala has said.