Vol: 4, Issue: 1 2014

Page: 29-36

Environment Impact of Hydel Power Projects in Himachal Pradesh: A Case Study of District Kullu

Vikrant Thakur, Dinesh Gupta, Dr. Krishan Kumar Sharma

The study was conducted in District Kullu to find out the environmental impact of hydro power projects in eight different locations. The projects selected are operational at Aleo, Baragran, Kothi, Lag Valley, Malana, Palchan and Prini. Since eight different sites had been taken for the study, twenty respondents were selected from each site. For the project employees, unstructured interview method was administered. The interview questions were framed to detect the participants’ experience and outcome by story telling – describing some strategic issues they encountered and how they were dealt within their organizations. The main aim was to probe participants’ experience in terms of the pre and post construction phases of the project and practices that drive what and how strategic decisions were made and implemented in their projects with respect to the environmental impact. Therefore to know the responses of the employees of the respective hydel project three respondents were selected from each site. The sample size that has been selected for the study was 184 respondents to whom the survey was administered. This survey schedule was pre-tested in the field, prior to start of the socio-economic survey. The filled-in survey schedules were scrutinized. Data analysis was undertaken using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software. The analyzed outputs have been used in reporting the findings of the socio-economic survey. The study revealed that the environmental condition has not been affected by any of the project activities.