Waterfall of developmental colonialism

Western Ghats Calling - 3

The Hindu, Jan 4, 2008, reports: Some 75 km northwest of Kochi — Kerala's bustling seaport — lies the trading town of Chalakudy. And a short 5 km away flows the river that carries its name. Go another few kilometres and you are at the Athirapally falls. Here, water gushes over a large rocky knoll in white, effervescent waves. As you get closer, you feel the wetness; then you are surrounded by a fine mist, cool and bracing against your skin. If you are a nature lover, be here at the break of dawn — and give yourself up to the magic in the air. You'll find yourself being led downstream, as if by an unseen force, to an enchanting spot where, the river seems to bare its soul. But only if the Athirapalley falls and the river survives, argues Sudhirendar Sharma. Meet the activists who are trying to save the river and the exquisite waterfall at the upcoming congregation to Save Western Ghats on Feb 8-10, 2009 in Goa. This is the third in the series of despatches leading to the historic event.)

(for Hindu story referred above click)

by Sudhirendar Sharma

As the relentless non-violent protest at the proposed site for the controversial hydroelectric project at Athirappilly in Kerala continues, the stand off between people and powers-that-be underscores the fact that growth engine remains unilaterally focused to undermine human rights and ecological costs. But is it the first time that an economically unviable and ecological destructive project has got the undesired push at the corridors of power?

Do the doubtful gains of the project measure up to the irreversible losses it will inflict on the environment and the tribal population? That it is hornbill habitat with home to four distinct species; that it has rich fish diversity with 104 different species; and that it is most frequented elephant corridor with a high density of 2.1 elephants per sq km seem at best relevant for the environmental discourses to follow!

Does it matter that the proposed 163-MW dam will displace 78 families of the Kadar tribe, the primitive hunter gatherers endemic to the river valley? Haven't displacement and rehabilitation been the persistent cry across river valley projects across the country? So, isn't the issue of rehabilitation of 1,500 members of the primitive tribe on familiar grounds? All this to get the dubious distinction on the 144-km long Chalakudy to be the most dammed river in the country, with the proposed 7th dam at Athirappilly waterfalls.

Undoubtedly, the environmental impacts have largely remained unquantifiable giving a relatively free passage to hydroelectric projects across the country. However, in no way are environmental concerns a work of fiction. But easy acceptance of the possible impacts threaten the ideology of development to which the state, and the vested interests, are deeply entrenched, leading to a conflict of interests between people and the project proponents.

On the familiar turf where projected benefits are traded against unintended impacts, the real block is that the system cannot risk losing patronage. Even if not in a pejorative sense, everybody is loath to lose patronage which rarely, if not always, is without an element of corruption or malfeasance. Consequently, there is a stiff resistance to change as not only a new system could be threatening but that it may lack the elements of patronage with its unwritten gains.

Beneath these hidden manifestations of growth are set of justifications that are rooted in the (growing) consumptive appetite of a huge `aspirational middle class'. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram lashed out at those who oppose development: `people are being deceived to believe that the existing state of life is an ideal state of life and that development will make it worse. This could be categorized as a conspiracy of the socially-driven class to keep people poor.'

In saying so, Chidambaram echoed the voice of a burgeoning middle class that considers economic reforms as one great opportunity for securing prized jobs with multinationals than as something to be feared. In the present day rah-rah scenario, the picturesque Athirappilly waterfalls would be best preserved on our mental screensavers. Who would want to be reminded of Ammini, a mother of three, whose livelihood will be destroyed once the proposed dam diverts the million-odd tourists who flock each year to witness its gurgling waters?

The likes of Ammini are a speck of dust at the altar of giganticism. The idea of growth is to free the countryside of its age-old blight, by relocating the poor to cities. If current policy environment is any indication, the state wants as many people in the cities, something like 85 per cent, as it is easier to provide services (water, electricity etc) to cities than to 600,000 villages and to justify mega-projects. Do away with the idea that the country can continue to sustain 60 per cent of its rural population!

Athirappilly is the microcosm of what a growing economy has on offer! Undoubtedly, it is a reflection of an unholy trinity of bad policy, inept governance and dumbing down of public mindscape. No wonder, the thundering noise of growth subsumes the feeble tweak of a hornbill. That this were to happen in the `God's own country' is a matter of serious concern. Others will only find it convenient to emulate!

The current stand-off is a dissenting statement against a system that has been undermined from within. The environment impact assessment reports and the public hearings on such projects are only indicative of the glaring inadequacies, as development colonialism creates secular hierarchies incompatible with the social and ecological order. With huge vested interests behind it, the system is neither designed to work nor deliver the goods.

Political will needs to be generated, and that can happen only when the interests of the middle class coincide with the concerns of the underprivileged in the valley. If there is a demand from the non-poor, the likelihood of the state taking action is greater. If concerns of the poor can be tied up with those who draw non-monetary pleasures by being at the waterfalls and are willing to complain, the state will respond faster. This is the irony of being part of a democracy where, in Albert Camus' words, `innocence is called upon to justify itself.'