Damming the rivers of North Bengal: a socio-legal approach towards sustainable use of the river biodiversity

Abstract

North Bengal due to various perennial rivers is an ideal for hydro-power project plants. Dam building in India dates all the way back to the pre-Harappan era. India now has over 5100 major dams, according to the latest estimates from the Central Water Commission. Due to various developmental purposes the rivers of North Bengal in particular lost their natural flow. RoR hydropower plants are 'socially and environmentally benign,' and a useful mechanism to meet water demand. Reforming technocratic water and energy organizations is a very difficult task. To solve these concerns in the near term a stronger organizational framework for environmental and social governance is required and the guidelines need to be framed. Additionally, there is no legislative or administrative structure in place to ensure that evaluation, planning, judgement, economic evaluation, or environmental impact evaluations for the assessment the impact of dams on rivers. Proper planning and implementation are the need of the hour.