EVALUATION OF HYDRO POWER IN INDIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HIMACHAL PRADESH

India, the 7th largest hydropower making country in the world, had an installed hydro capacity of around 45,400 MW by end 2018. The annual growth in capacity last year was just 1 per cent, which was the lowest since 2009. It is estimated that about 35 hydel power projects of 12,000 MW are under construction at various stages, but at least half of them worth over 6,000 MW have been stalled due to many issues from environmental issues to local protest, land acquisition and funding. Expanding the electricity user base in the country is constantly taken as a ground for pushing hydropower, as around 280 million in India do not have access to electricity. But these grid connected hydropower projects never benefit the local populations. In any case, such large hydropower projects are not the best way to make electricity accessible to those that do not have access currently. The protests of locals trying to safeguard their villages and livelihoods and the concerns of environmentalists are quelled in the name of the greater ‘national interest'. Recently Himachal Pradesh, has been marked as the ‘Power state' with a good potential to produce electric energy. The pressure is not just to make electric power, but to make clean power with good technology use which is less damaging and more environmental friendly. The protests in a number of localities of study area have indicated that these projects are damaging livelihood and environment in different ways.