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Commissioned and proposed projects

Special: Ecologist 2003
This is an indicative list of some major projects commissioned, under construction and proposed to come up in this region. Many of the proposed projects indicated here are in an advanced stage of planning and clearance.
  1. Pakke (NEEPCO): 105 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking. Preliminary survey being carried out. Reported to cause submergence within Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary.
  2. Kolodyne (NEEPCO): 120 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  3. Kaldan: 545 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  4. Emra II: 870 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  5. Etalin: 3,045 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  6. Hutong: 950 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  7. Kalai: 2,550 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  8. Demwe: 3,000 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  9. Noa-Dihing: 75 MW, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  10. Oju I&II: 4,505 MW combined, proposed in the Preliminary CEA ranking.
  11. Kameng (NEEPCO): 600 MW (4x150), under construction. Two dams on the Bichom (96.5 m. high) and Tenga (60.5 m. high) rivers. The Bichom flow is to be diverted to the Tenga and further diverted to the Kimi powerhouse, bordering Pakke Sanctuary. The project was cleared in 2001 despite a grossly inadequate and inaccurate EIA report. Negative impacts already visible. Total land requirement = 710 ha. (all forestland). Directly affected population = 355 people (74 households).
  12. Dikrong (NEEPCO): 100 MW, proposed. Under preliminary investigation.
  13. Ranganadi (NEEPCO): 405 MW (3x135), already commissioned. 112 m. high dam on the Ranganadi will divert water into a reservoir on the Dikrong river (60 m. high dam) through an 8.5 km. long head race tunnel. Directly affected population = 600 people (Yazali village). Total submergence area = 1,640 ha. (unclassified state forest). No mention of impacts of inter-basin transfer on river regimes or consequent downstream impacts. Muck disposed into the Ranganadi during construction has severely affected the river and fish catch downstream.
  14. Ranganadi II (NEEPCO): 130 MW (2x65), 117 m. high dam. Submergence area = 988 ha. (80 ha. is cultivable land). To be located upstream of Ranganadi I since the firm power of stage I is only 65 MW. With stage II, this is likely to double. Feasibility studies conducted.
  15. Upper Siang (NHPC): 11,000 MW, 257 m. high dam, proposed to be India’s largest hydel project. Under survey and investigation, has received stage I site clearance from the MoEF, Total land required = 13,500 ha. of which 9,015 ha. is dense forest.
  16. Middle Siang (NHPC): 700 MW, 154 m. high dam. Submergence area = 1,000 ha. Presently under survey and investigation and has received stage I site clearance.
  17. Lower Siang (NHPC): 1,600 MW, 67 m. high dam. Total land required = 5,130 ha. (including 3,293 ha. of forestland and 123 ha. of jhum/orchard/unirrigated land). Presently under survey and investigation and has received stage I site clearance.
  18. Upper Subansiri (NHPC): 2,500 MW, 265 m. high dam. Submergence area = 6,500 ha. Presently under survey and investigation and has received stage I site clearance.
  19. Middle Subansiri (NHPC): 2,000 MW, 213 m. high dam. Submergence area = 6,000 ha. Presently under survey and investigation and has received stage I site clearance.
  20. Lower Subansiri (NHPC): 2,000 MW, 116 m. high dam. Submergence area = 3,436 ha (upto 70 km. upstream of the dam site!) of which 42 ha. is in the Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. Presently undergoing environmental and forest clearance. Is likely to impact beels, dolphin habitats, wet rice cultivation and fish catch in downstream areas. The EIA has not reported these and several other impacts.
  21. Debang (Brahmaputra Board): 3,000 MW. Is also meant to moderate the flow of the Brahmaputra in the Assam valley. Detailed project report was to have been submitted in December 2002. However, it is reported that infrastructural works including road construction have already started.
  22. Rangit (NHPC): 60 MW (3x20), operational since 1999. 45 m. high, 100 m. long concrete gravity dam.
  23. Teesta V (NHPC): 510 MW (3x170), 96.45 m. high, 182.5 m. long concrete gravity dam. Under construction. Submergence area = 326.66 ha. of land (122.17 ha. is forestland and 201.4 ha. is private land). 250 ha. of ‘degraded forest’ has been acquired for compensatory afforestation. 2% of total project cost kept for catchment area treatment.
  24. Teesta High Dams (NHPC): 332 MW, listed in CEA’s preliminary ranking study.
  25. Kaptai (Bangladesh Power Development Board): 230 MW, constructed in 1957, 50 m. high dam, 600 m. long. Submergence area = 400 sq. km. (including 16 sq. km. of reserved forest, and 54,000 acres of arable land). Directly affected population = 18,000 tribal families, mostly Chakmas. There are reports of planned expansions to the project, which will lead to further negative impacts.
  26. Pagladiya (Brahmaputra Board): 26 m. high, 23 km. long earth-filled dam. Granted environmental clearance. Submergence area = 5,150 ha. in 26 villages. Progress on project slow due to opposition from local communities regarding loss of agricultural lands. Dam meant mainly for irrigation and flood moderation, will also generate 3 MW of power. Expected completion date: 2007.
  27. Kopili (NEEPCO): 200 MW, already commissioned. Has caused the drying up of the feeder channels downstream that charge beels, the spawning grounds of fish.
  28. Lower Kopili (NEEPCO): 150 MW (3x50), 71 m. high concrete gravity dam. Under construction. Located about 20 km. downstream of existing Kopili powerhouse.
  29. Kopili Stage II (NEEPCO): Environmental and forest clearances not granted yet.
  30. Gumti (state government): Presently generating 8.6 MW, commissioned in 1976. Submergence area = 46.34 sq. km. of one of the state’s most fertile valleys. Affected population = 8,000-10,000 tribal families.
  31. Doyang (NEEPCO): 75 MW, commissioned. Has submerged 5,420 acres as per official records. Loss of lands has reduced the jhum cycle in adjoining lands to 4-5 years. 23 villages in the immediate catchment area are involved in a community-based catchment area treatment plan with the help of the central and state governments.
  32. Tuirial (NEEPCO): 60 MW, 77 m. high dam. Target date of commissioning is June 2006. Granted environmental and forest clearance. Construction yet to begin. Submergence area = 5,380 ha, more than two lakh trees to be cut, 15 species listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act found in the project area.
  33. Tuivai (NEEPCO): 210 MW, 155 m. high dam. Submergence area = 1,600 ha. (55% is either open forest, grassland or permanent jhum and the remaining is dense vegetation). Environmental clearance granted. 1,60,000 mature trees to be felled in the submergence area alone, to be ‘compensated’ for by the creation of Lengteng Sanctuary and bringing old growth jhum area under the forest department.
  34. Tipaimukh (NEEPCO): 1,500 MW (6x250), 162.8 m. high, 390 m. long earthen core, rock-filled dam. Meant to also moderate floods. Forest and environmental clearance not yet granted. Faces stiff opposition from indigenous peoples who stand to lose their traditional homelands.
  35. Loktak (NHPC): 105 MW (3x35), 10.7 m. high and 58.8 m. long barrage. Operational since 1983. Natural water flow disrupted impacting the health of the lake and the khangpok people. Agricultural lands submerged and fish catch reduced. The sangai deer and other fauna in and around Keibul Lamjao National Park are threatened. The lake is a wetland of global importance under the Ramsar Convention and an Important Bird Area. Loktak Project Affected Areas Action Committee still seeking adequate compensation.
  36. Loktak downstream (NHPC): 90 MW (3x30), 64.5 m. high, 250 m. long earthen dam. Aims to utilise tail-race discharge of existing Loktak project and free draining catchment of the Leimatak river. Environmental clearance granted but construction yet to begin due to security concerns. Submergence area = 257 ha. including 170 ha. of wet paddy.
  37. Bairabi (state government): 80 MW, 62 m. high, 180 m. long earth-filled dam. Could provide 180 km. waterway from Aizawl to Silchar. Land required = 9,294 ha. (7,721 ha. is forestland and the rest is valuable horticultural land).
  38. Myntdu-Leishka (state government): 84 MW (2x42), 59 m. high dam. Granted environmental clearance, forest clearance pending. Land required = 181.16 ha. (102 ha. of forestland). Will drown forests inhabited by tiger, jungle cat and binturong. Mining continues upstream threatening the lifespan of the dam due to acidic water.
[First published: 12 May 2009 | Last updated: 12 May 2009.]
 
 
Notice
The Northeast Vigil website ran from 1999 to 2009. It is not operated or maintained anymore. It has been put up here solely for archival sentiments.

Parts of the old website, especially the extremely popular dams issue, have been resurrected. Other archived material will be uploaded here as and when I am able to salvage those. If at all.

— Subir Ghosh
Notice
The Northeast Vigil website ran from 1999 to 2009. It is not operated or maintained anymore. It has been put up here solely for archival sentiments.

Parts of the old website, especially the extremely popular dams issue, have been resurrected. Other archived material will be uploaded here as and when I am able to salvage those. If at all.

— Subir Ghosh
The Northeast Vigil site is not operated/maintained anymore. It has been put up here solely for archival sentiments.