Why in News?
- Thousands of villagers from Jharkhand (Dhanbad district) and West Bengal (Purulia district) jointly protested on October 15 against upcoming floating and ground-mounted solar power projects on the Panchet Dam reservoir.
- Locals fear loss of access to grazing land, fishing zones, and displacement due to land acquisition for renewable energy expansion by DVC–NTPC JV (GVREL).
Relevance:
GS 2 – Governance
- Land acquisition, rehabilitation, resettlement failures.
- Federal issues: Centre–State–local governance overlap (DVC, NTPC, Jharkhand, WB).
- Stakeholder participation, Gram Sabha role, Scheduled Areas governance.
GS 3 – Environment & Energy
- Renewable energy targets, COP26 commitments, solar policy.
- Conflicts in RE expansion; socio-environmental impact of floating solar.
- Ecology: aquatic systems, reservoir ecosystems.
GS 1 – Society
- Impact on Adivasi livelihoods, fishing communities, pastoralists.
- Historical displacement and land rights issues.
Panchet Dam
- Built: 1959; last of the four multipurpose dams under the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).
- Location:
- Northern bank – Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
- Southern bank – Purulia, West Bengal.
- Purpose: Flood control in the Damodar River (historically called “Sorrow of Bengal”), irrigation, hydropower.
- Original displacement (1950s–70s):
- 33,898 acres acquired; 10,339 families displaced (DVC archival reports, 1957–76).
- Large-scale submergence of villages; inadequate compensation and unresolved land title issues continue.
Upcoming Renewable Energy Projects
Floating Solar Project
- Promoter: Green Valley Renewable Energy Ltd. (GVREL) – JV:
- NTPC Green Energy Ltd. (51%)
- DVC (49%)
- Capacity: 155 MW AC floating solar + ground-mounted PV plant.
- Site: Surface of Panchet reservoir + adjoining land.
Central Government Policy Push
- Driven by India’s COP26 Panchamrit commitments:
- 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030.
- 50% energy from renewables by 2030.
- Solar projects rising rapidly, especially floating solar for land-scarce regions.
Stakeholder Concerns
Livelihood Loss
- Fishing community (~2,500 people across both States):
- Reservoir access to be restricted → direct loss of daily income (₹500–800 on good days).
- Grazing lands:
- Floating solar + fenced zones → cattle-grazing areas blocked.
- Villages already have minimal greenery.
Displacement Anxiety
- Already displaced once during the 1950s dam construction.
- Fresh land acquisition reignites fear of second displacement cycle.
Land Rights Issues
- Majority of families still lack:
- Land titles
- Aadhaar
- Caste certificates
- Voter list validation
- Current settlements on “wasteland” without documentation → high vulnerability.
Broken Promises
- Old commitments during dam construction (land, rehabilitation, infrastructure) remain pending.
- New RE projects revived demand for return of unused DVC land, and for bridge connectivity (Bathanbari–Mahishnadi).
Conflict and Governance Dimensions
Land Conflict Watch Report Findings
- 45% RE land-acquisition cases lack community consultation.
- 48% conflicts occur on common lands: Adivasi, Dalit, and pastoralist-dependent.
- 29%: Completed RE projects still face protests.
- 5 major national RE projects stalled due to community opposition.
Why Conflicts Intensify?
- Solar energy is land-intensive.
- Exemptions from environmental & social impact assessments for speed of implementation.
- Overlapping jurisdictions:
- DVC (central),
- State govts (WB & Jharkhand),
- Local Panchayats.
- Weak social safeguards in RE infrastructure expansion.
Environmental & Social Impact
- Floating solar reduces fishing zones and affects aquatic ecosystems.
- Shadowing effect impacts plankton growth → reduces fish breeding.
- Restricted mobility around reservoir affects tribal communities’ traditional grazing and collection activities.
Governance Questions Raised
- Who benefits from the solar project?
- Why no updated rehabilitation for old displacement?
- Why no land rights regularisation before new land acquisition?
- Demand for transparent EIAs and Gram Sabha consultation (especially in Scheduled Areas).
Government/Agency Stand (Implied)
- DVC and GVREL aim to align with national RE targets.
- Consider floating solar as optimal for land-scarce, high-water-storage zones.
- No detailed public response yet (as per report)
