Dialogues on Dams and Development
Dams in recent years had generated fierce controversy in India and several other countries of the world. The controversy neither died down nor subsided even after the submission in November 2000 of the report of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) that had been set up largely at the initiative of the World Bank and the IUCN. In fact, the controversy only became more intense as can be seen from the violent reactions it generated from one extreme to another. Whereas one section called it harsh and gross rubbish, another welcomed it with gusto. The controversy, therefore, could not be wished away. It has led to a delay of several projects resulting in enormous costs to the exchequer, diminishing hopes of aspirants of water, losses in power that may have been produced, and also problems of those unsettled and affected on account of project-related developments. Many projects failed to make headway one way or the other.It was, therefore, high time that the matter was looked into afresh, and a consensus among diverse viewpoints evolved, through appraisal of different viewpoints and dialogues among the stakeholders. Rules and criteria must undergo a change, as they have been changing in the past, in accordance with changes in people's value-system and their perceptions. It was in this context that the South Asia Technical Advisory Committee of Global Water Partnership (GWP-SASTAC) took a decision in early 2001 to organize a series of dialogues on Dams and Development in South Asia through the respective Country Water Partnerships.
The Institute for Resource Management and Economic Development had already started the dialogue process on its own initiative, through organizing largely attended national and international seminars on the subject since 1999, even before the WCD gave its report. In view of its track record, the Institute was given the responsibility by India Water Partnership to organize the dialogues in India.
Given its long term interest in the subject, the Institute accepted the responsibility. It prepared a paper on Criteria and Guidelines for Dams in India as a base paper for discussion.
Six Dialogue Workshops were organized by the Institute at different places and on different dates in India:
City
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Date
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New Delhi
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February 15 & 16, 2002
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Patna
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June 9, 2002
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Kolkata
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July 2, 2002
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Chennai
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August 8, 2002
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Bhopal
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August 10, 2002
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Jaipur
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March 2, 2005
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Each of the Dialogue Workshops were well attended by stakeholders having different viewpoints and belonging to different disciplines, including several key opinion-makers. About 350 stakeholders from different parts of India attended these dialogues/workshops. The base paper was periodically updated after each workshop and finalized after the last workshop held in Jaipur. Thereafter, a monograph entitled Indian Approach to Dams and Development was published in 2005.
A report on progress of the Dialogue was presented at the 1st South Asia Water Forum organized by GWP-SASTAC in Kathmandu (Nepal) on 26 to 28 February, 2002. A subsequent report was presented at the 2nd South Asian Water Forum held in Islamabad (Pakistan) in December, 2002. This was further updated and presented at the 3rd World Water Forum held in Kyoto (Japan) in March, 2003.
The general conclusion that emerged during the dialogues/workshops is that dams of different sizes depending on location-specific situations are needed for a monsoon-dominated country like India; but there is a need for substantial improvement in procedures for their planning, monitoring and implementation. Several concrete suggestions have been given.