Please reverse farcical decision of asking developers to do cumulative impact assessment in Sutlej Basin

To
Shri Jairam Ramesh
Union Minister of State (IC) of Environment and Forests,
New Delhi

Respected sir,
We have just seen the minutes of the EAC meeting, for river valley projects held on Feb 26 2011 in which the EAC has decided to allow the Hydropower Producers Association in Sutlej basin to do the Cumulative Environment Impact Assessment for Sutlej basin. This is indeed a very shocking decision.

The Hydropower Producers Association is essentially a body of the hydropower developers and they have a vested interest in pushing more hydropower projects in the basin. There is a clear conflict of interest issue here. The hydropower producers association cannot be expected to do a credible cumulative assessment. Cumulative impact assessment is also supposed to recommend how much hydropower capacity is viable in the basin, but the developers body cannot be expected to limit the number of projects they are to develop. This is complete farce of environment decision making.

We request you to kindly reject this completely flawed decision of the EAC and ask tdhe HP govt, that if the cumulative impact assessment is to have any credibility, the study must be done by an independent body that has environment credentials (the hydropower producers body has none) and track record of taking independent positions.

We also urge you to kindly ask the EAC to also invite non-government / civil society groups to put forward their case. The EAC on River Valley Projects has never done that. The EAC cannot be expected to know all the ground realities and listening only to the developer is bound to give only one side of the story. Hence it is important that EAC is directed to listen to non-government / civil society groups.

We will look forward to hearing from you at an early date.

Yours sincerely,
Himanshu Thakkar

South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, 
C/o 86-D, AD Block, Shalimar Bagh,
Delhi
Tel: (011)-27484655
Email: ht.sandrp@gmail.com
Web: http://sandrp.in