The Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India and one of the tallest in the world. It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the THDC India Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex. Phase 1 was completed in 2006, the Tehri Dam withholds a reservoir for irrigation, municipal water supply and the generation of 1,000 megawatts of hydroelectricity. The dam's 1,000 MW pumped-storage scheme is currently under construction with expected commissioning in May 2018.
Two decades ago hydro power was a central feature of the environmentalist’s agenda. Many in the environmental movement encouraged hydroelectric development, as the electricity generated was clean energy from a renewable resource. Attitude changed over the past decade. In many eyes, hydro power developers are no longer environmental champions, recently after the deadly Uttarakhand floods. The environmentalist lobby has been predictably up in arms in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand flash floods. Dams have been blamed unequivocally for all the ills that have currently befallen the region. In this paper, “Hydro Power in India is actually a Bane or a Boon” is being discussed.
