Socio-economic impact of hydropower projects in dzongu region of North Sikkim

Abstract

The increasing global demand for energy combined with the ongoing quest for clean, renewable energy has been a topic of perceived interest among countries of developed and developing world. Construction and operations of dams have always been associated with changes in the physical, biological and social environment. No doubt electricity generation is the need of the hours for development, but the large projects do involve the submersion of large track of land and the displacement of people. Socio-economic and cultural impacts arising from project construction and environmental transformations are rooted in the complex interactivity between social and biophysical environments. Human communities are integral components of their environment as well as potential agents for environmental change. Hence environmental changes in settled areas are often profoundly interlinked with subsequent changes that occur within society. This paper focuses on the impacts of Hydro-electric power projects in the Himalayan region of Sikkim with special reference to the Dzongu which focus on demographic and Socio-economic changes. While benefits such as employment have accrued to the rural community from these economic development projects, changes in land use and in people’s occupations may have adverse impacts on their future livelihoods. The interests of local must be listened to and taken care of during the planning and the policy makers must adopt a model or strategies so that the impacts and effects of such type developmental activities can be minimized and local people who are living in the vicinity as well as who have sacrificed their belongings. To maximize the positive impacts and mitigate the negative environmental, social and economic impacts, sustainability of water resources projects is required.

Keywords: Dzongu, Hydropower, Lepcha, Sikkim, Socio-economic impact.