Hydroelectric power projects-A threat to existing traditional knowledge: A study of power projects in Ravi Basin in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh India

Dams have had serious impacts on the lives, livelihoods, culture and spiritual existence of indigenous, tribal and illiterate people, and on the physical environmental conditions and biodiversity. As far as the dam related developmental activities in Himachal Himalayas are concerned, they got momentum during 5th five year plan and at present there are more than 400 power projects in five perennial river basins spread over 55, 673 sq. km geographical area. Every basin is being excessively exploited which has a considerable impact on environment and threatening the lives and livelihood of the mountain inhabitants.

The present paper is based on the primary research carried out in Ravi basin of the state. There are more than 80 power projects of different magnitudes in 40 rivulets that have been earmarked for the planned development and received detrimental impact on the available traditional knowledge because of multiple reasons.

In the present paper the responsibility of hydroelectric power projects for threatening the existing traditional knowledge which are serving social, cultural, spiritual, and economic aspects of communities since ages but with the installation of developmental projects these are being threaten, will be analyzed which is based on original micro field research carried out in the lower Himalayan Region by using exploratory, descriptive and participatory method of research. To analyse the impacts on 03 commissioned power projects, 500 respondents from 55 villages divided in seven research cluster, selected by cluster convince simple random sampling methods have been used. Received data codified, interpreted by applying suitable statistical tools.