The challenges associated with the development of hydropower plants in India are i Geological constr...........

Economic and Social Issues Sustainable Development and Envirnmental Issues

The Union government has approved various measures to promote hydropower sector. India is blessed with huge water resources and there are vast possibilities of producing hydro-electricity but only 23% of the total installed capacity. While hydropower projects are critical for economic growth and development, it is equally important to fully assess its potential social and environmental impact in the long-term. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between the need for rapid development and the necessity of protecting the environment. According to an assessment by the Central Electricity Authority, the economically exploitable hydropower potential in India is around 148 GW. As of 2016-17, the installed utilizable hydropower capacity in India is around 45 GW or about 14 % of its total installed power capacity. As of now, around 31 % of its total utilizable hydropower capacity has been installed.

The challenges associated with the development of hydropower plants in India are

i Geological constraints

ii ecological constraints

iii Informational constraints amongst local people

Select the correct answer using the code given below

i. and ii only

ii and iii only

i. and iii only

all of the above

none of these

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Explanation:

Challenges associated with the development of hydropower in India

Geological constraints - the Himalayan region is seismically unstable and construction of large dams in this region is considered to be structurally unsafe. Moreover, large dams themselves are found to be responsible for inducing seismicity (reservoir-induced seismicity) in a region. For example, the reservoir induced earthquake near Koyna Dam in 1967.

Ecological constraints - dams submerge huge tracts of forest lands which makes it difficult to obtain forest clearances. Large dams pose a threat to the biodiversity in both upstream and downstream regions, by submerging forest lands in the former and restricting the river flow in the latter.