Assessing the Status and Policy Framework of Hydropower Projects in the YamunaBasin, Uttarakhand: Implications for Sustainability and Local Communities Article Swipe
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· 2025
· Open Access
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· DOI: https://doi.org/10.51220/jmr.v20-i1.12
· OA: W4412065212
The Yamuna Basin, integral to the Ganga Basin, possesses significant hydropower potential due to its extensive river system and pronounced elevation gradient. This paper scrutinises the multifaceted impacts (environmental, social, economic) of hydropower development therein. Applying the DPSIR framework to the Lakhwar and Vyasi projects, the study identifies energy demand and water security as principal drivers, exerting pressures such as forest land diversion, hydrological alterations, and waste generation. Consequent state changes include habitat loss and transformation from lotic to lentic ecosystems, with impacts manifesting as biodiversity decline, disrupted fish migration, and the displacement of 1809 families. Institutional responses encompass resettlement packages, compensatory afforestation, and environmental management plans. The research also examines governance mechanisms and stakeholder roles, advocating for an integrated strategy that balances energy generation with ecological conservation by minimising disruption, considering cumulative effects, and strengthening regulatory oversight and social responsibility. This work contributes to the discourse on sustainable hydropower within Himalayanriver systems, focusing on the Yamuna Basin's distinct environmental and socio-economic context.
