Comprehensive Approach for Hydropower Development for Energy-Water Security

Abstract

India, blessed with suitable topography in Himalayan and Western and Eastern Ghats region, has substantial potential for hydropower. As a means of clean energy, hydropower also supports much needed conservation suitable for monsoon-based intermittent and disparate water availability regime of the country. Development of hydropower addresses water security as well, thereby strengthening the water and energy vertices of the water-food-energy nexus triangle. India has 148,701 MW of hydropower potential, of which exploitation has been a meagre 38,000 MW representing just 26% of available potential. Hydropower development has been the least in the region with the highest potential namely, Himalayan region and especially the North-Eastern areas. Immediately post-Independence, hydropower development was coupled with creation of water conservation infrastructure in form of large reservoirs needed for ensuring water and food security. However, the same pace has not been maintained since then and development in the sector is lagging. The chapter makes a case for taking up hydropower development as a strategy for water and energy security as also to provide impetus to generation of green power, now mandatorily required to meet climate change resilience goals of the country. At present, the policy climate for hydropower is beset with many misconceptions and provides hurdles in terms of excessive tax burden, load of welfare measures which are not necessarily associated with hydropower schemes and other interventions working against the techno-economic viability of the schemes. The chapter argues for multi-sectoral approach for resolving the problems associated with a comprehensive development for overall development of the power and water sector in the country.