India’s new mega-dam will roil lives downstream with wild swings in water flow every day
India’s new mega-dam will roil lives downstream with wild swings in water flow every day
The hydropower dam is part of a huge effort to boost India’s homegrown energy. But it will radically disrupt the lives and livelihoods of indigenous communities in the flood plains downstream.
Hard to evaluate the construction of these mega-projects without exploring the counterfactuals. Where should Indians get their electricity from if not hydro power?
Well, in most countries wind and solar are rapidly growing compared to hydro. A more critical question for India is what else could replace the melting Himalayan glaciers and reducing snow cover, as a storage of water for the dry season?
Well, in most countries wind and solar are rapidly growing compared to hydro.
That's more a consequence of hydro sites having been built out already. If you've got a prime candidate for development, you'll find it difficult to get a better yield on the dollar over a smaller geographic footprint.
A more critical question for India is what else could replace the melting Himalayan glaciers and reducing snow cover, as a storage of water for the dry season?
Water conservation also a very big deal in India right now. Although the downstream impact of damming also tends to be droughts.
What? Dams usually have a regulating effect on flow downstream. Why would it cause swings?
For most of the day, the dam will hold back water, letting only a small amount through, roughly equivalent to the region’s dry season. But for about four hours each night, it will release water to generate power, sending a raging river downstream almost like during monsoon season.
Why would they build it like that? That’s stupid and wasteful. Why?!