The Dibang Multipurpose Project and the Question of Hydropower Projects’ Sustainability

Hydropower projects are regarded as a significant renewable energy source because of their capacity to produce clean electricity making them a competitive substitute to thermal or fossil fuels based energy. This narrative has greatly influenced the push for various hydroelectric projects in regions such as India’s northeast. The Northeast region is envisioned as the country’s future powerhouse, capable of generating around 63,000 MW of hydropower by constructing 168 projects along Brahmaputra basin. Compared to other northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh has signed the most Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) for hydropower projects. As of October 2021, the state government had assigned 40,140 MW of installed capacity to 132 hydropower projects, including in the public and commercial sectors. The local population opposes many of these projects due to their detrimental effects on the ecosystem, livelihood, and environment. This prompted fundamental concerns about the viability of such ventures in the region. Is renewable energy generation inherently sustainable? In this context, the chapter seeks to understand the rationale for many dams, as well as whether these projects take into account the concerns of residents, their livelihoods, and the environment. The chapter discusses the Dibang Multipurpose Dam project and the associated protest movement around it thereby looking at the issues of sustainability.