Consultation on Dams and Climate Change in India’s North East

19 November 2014

MAPITHEL DAM AFFECTED VILLAGERS ORGANIZATION
ALL LOKTAK LAKE AREAS FISHERMEN’S UNION
CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY, MANIPUR
NORTH EAST AREA AFFECTED DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY
BOROK PEOPLES MOVMEMENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
PEOPLES MOVEMENT FOR SUBANSIRI VALLEY

The Mapithel Dam Affected Villagers Organization, the All Loktak Lake Areas Fishermen’s Union (ALLAFU) and the Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur, NEADS, Assam, Peoples Movement for Subansiri Valley (PMSV), Assam organized a one day Consultation on Dams and Climate Change in India’s North East at Manipur Press Club at Imphal on 19th November 2014. The consultation is organized to discuss worsening climate crisis due to aggressive push for mega dams in North East India which also led to wide environmental devastations and social impacts. Mr. KK Chatradhara, PMSV, Mr. Oinam Rajen, Secretary, ALLAFU, Mr. Girin Chetia, NEADs, Assam, Rev, BSM Bhaisaimoit of Meghalaya, Mr. Rockson of Mapithel Dam Affected Villagers Organization spoke as resource persons.

Mr. Jiten Yumnam spoke how the aggressive pursuance of large scale mega dams construction will contribute in serious climate change implications in India’s North East. He explained how Manipur is destined to climate disaster as the Government of Manipur insisted on mega dams constructions under the Manipur Hydro Power Policy 2012. Oinam Rajen shared how 105 MW Loktak HEP project contributes in climate crisis in Manipur by destroying more than 80,000 acres of prime agriculture land in Manipur. The NHPC remains unaccountable for the violations in Loktak wetlands. Mr. Rockson of MDAVO also shared how Mapithel Dam’s impact on forest and agriculture land will deepen climate change in Manipur. The project authorities remains unaccountable to affected people.

Mr. KK Chatradhara, PSMV, Assam said the climate crisis is caused by human greed and intervention, such as construction of mega dams. He insisted to let the Rivers of North East to flow free. Mega dams are promoted to serve the interest of corporate bodies. Indigenous peoples lives, livelihood, future across North East will be seriously affected by mega dams. Mr. Girn Chetia, Secretary, NEADS, Assam said Arunachal Pradesh primarily and in entire North East has been projected as power house of India. Assam will be the most affected by the multiple of mega dams in Arunachal Pradesh, as it is located in the downstream portion of major rivers. Such mega dams will also led to serious climate change implications. He expressed concern that the construction of 1700 MW Lower Demwe over Lohit River will entail devastation and increased floods in Assam. Mega Dams will also minoritize indigenous peoples and will lead to more conflict and criminalization of affected indigenous peoples.

Rev PBM Basaiawmoit of Meghalaya said North East India has already become host of climate refuges of from countries like Bangladesh worst affected by climate change. Mega dams affected agriculture pattern of farmers is his state. He said Meghalaya will lose its rich forest and biodiversity due to series of mega dams planned. Meghalaya will lose its cool climate once its forest is gone due to these mega dams. The participants adopted a statement at the consultation to end pursuance of mega dams and false solutions to climate change in Manipur and across India’s North East. The statement urged corporate bodies and States not to build mega dams without the free, prior and informed consent of affected communities as per the UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007.

STATEMENT: CONSULTATION ON DAMS AND DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA’S NORTH EAST, IMPHAL MANIPUR, 19 NOVEMBER 2014, ORGANIZED BY CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY, MANIPUR, MAPITHEL DAM AFFECTED VILLAGERS ORGANIZATION, ALL LOKTAK LAKE AREAS FISHERMEN’S UNION, PEOPLES MOVEMENT FOR SUBANSIRI VALLEY, NEADS, BOROK PEOPLES MOVMEMENT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Indigenous Peoples across North East India are adversely affected by deepening global climate crisis, with our lands, livelihood, cultures, identity and survival as peoples’ severely threatened. The worsening climate changes has led to unpredictability of rainfall, flood, drought, loss of species, and impact on indigenous peoples rights, cultures and future etc.

India’s North East witness aggressive pursuance of large scale unsustainable development, primarily mega dams construction, which will contribute result in serious climate change implications. Construction of mega dams across the NE region in the Brahmaputra Barak River system in indigenous land already led to displacement, widespread environmental devastation, militarization and violation of their self-determination.

More than 150 memorandums of understanding (MoU) for Mega dams have been signed in Arunachal Pradesh State alone, which will submerge colossal tract of forest and agriculture land. The Manipur Government singed MoUs with NEEPCO to undertake 60 MW Irang HEP Project at Irang River, 190 MW Pabram HEP over Barak River, 67 MW Chakha HEP at Barak River, Tuivai HEP over Tuivai River in Manipur. Policies, such as Manipur Hydro Power Policy, 2012 are also formed to promote mega dams across the North East region.

The colossal forest area of more than 27,000 hectares and several thousand hectares of agriculture land to be submerged by the proposed 1500 MW Tipaimukh HEP Project will aggravate climate crisis. The proposed 3000 Dibang HEP project move will submerge 4700 hectares of biodiversity rich forest area with several endemic species in Arunachal Pradesh. However, the Expert Appraisal Committee and Forest Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India fraudulently accorded Environment and Forest clearance for the proposed project on 16th and 22nd September 2014 respectively.

The 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Dam will not only destroy forest areas in Arunachal Pradesh but also huge agriculture land in Assam. Destroying massive forest areas will only liberate colossal quantum of Green House Gases, viz, Carbon dioxide, Methane etc, responsible for climate change and crisis in the Earth’s atmosphere. The climate change implications of the submergence of agriculture land and forest areas by these mega dams has never been assessed.

The indigenous peoples are also affected by the false solutions adopted to respond to climate crisis. The Government of India and State Governments across India’s North East pursued policies and State Action plans that reinforce false climate change solutions. The Manipur State Action Plan on Climate Change prioritized false solutions to climate change, such as mega dams.

The dam developers of the 1750 MW Lower Demwe Hydroelectric Project over Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh, the 1200 MW Teesta III project over Teesta River in Sikkim and many others already wrought colossal devastations but are seeking carbon credits from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) without highlighting the impacts on communities.

There is fresh move to classify the controversial 105 MW Loktak Hydroelectric Project in Manipur as clean energy project to seek profits from CDM mechanism by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to receive carbon credits, without even consulting and taking consent of communities. The Loktak HEP project is responsible for undermining food sovereignty of Manipur by submerging more than 80,000 acres of agriculture land and the project proponent NHPC remains unaccountable for the continued violations in Loktak wetlands, a Ramsar Site. There is a clear misinformation and withholding of information in the pursuance of such carbon offsetting projects and the non-recognition of indigenous communities’ collective rights over their land.

The Forest and Environment Clearances for 3000 MW Dibang Multipurpose Hydroelectric project should be revoked and the Dibang dam project should not proceed without the free, prior and informed consent of all affected along the Dibang River. The environmental clearance and the MoU for Tipaimukh HEP should be revoked.

All MoUs for mega dams construction signed without peoples consent in North East should be revoked. All policies, such as Manipur Hydro Power Policy, 2012 should be repealed. All climate change related policies should end pursuing false solution to climate change such as mega dams. The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and other dam building corporations should cease all efforts to seek profits, carbon credits and additional profits from the CDM by classifying the controversial 105 MW Loktak Project in Manipur, 1200 MW Teesta III, 1750 Demwe HEP etc. as clean and renewable energy project and should not be constructed without the free, prior and informed consent of all affected communities.

Dam building corporate bodies and State should stop targeting mega dams in North East as solutions to climate change given the violations by these dams and the potential climate change implications. The violation of indigenous peoples' right to self-determination is dominant in the pursuance of false solutions to climate crisis, such as mega dam construction in their land and territories. The pursuance of such false solutions and large-scale carbon offsetting projects constitutes a violation of their right to Self-Determined Development, outlined in provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), 2007.

States should stop adopting false solutions and recognize indigenous peoples' survival rights over their land and resources. States should ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities in all mitigation and adaptation efforts to respond to climate change. The recommendations of World Commission on Dams, 2000 and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007 should guide the all dam building processes across India’s NE.

The upcoming negotiations of COP 20 of UNFCCC in Lima, Peru in December 2014 should recognize Indigenous Peoples right to self-determination and right to participation and in determining climate change mitigation and adaptation policies. All States, parties to the UNFCCC, should abandon false solutions to climate change that negatively affects Indigenous Peoples’ rights. States should recognize the importance of Indigenous Peoples traditional knowledge and practices in developing strategies to address climate change.

(Sanaton Laishram)
President, CRAM