Teesta Hydro-Electricity Projects and Livelihood Security in the Sikkim Himalaya: Issues and Challenges

Authors

  • Karma Loday Tamang Ph.D Research Scholar, Department of Geography, Schools of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, INDIA.
  • Subhakanta Mohapatra Professor, Department of Geography, Schools of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, INDIA.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55544/ijrah.2.3.32

Keywords:

Development, Livelihood, Livelihood Security, Hydro-Power Project, Sikkim Himalaya

Abstract

Energy is crucial for any nation's economic growth and development, as well as poverty eradication and livelihood security. However, hydropower projects require significant expanses of land for construction and also affects people's lives and social structures.  Sikkim is a growing economy that is pursuing modernization through economic growth. In Sikkim, the forest department administers 82.31% of the land, while agricultural accounts for 11.1% of the overall geographical area, with agriculture employing 65% of the population. People's livelihoods are adversely affected when agricultural and forest land is diverted for project-related activities. This paper studies the post-project livelihood situations of the affected people of Teesta hydro power project. Field study has been carried out in six affected villages. Total of 334 sample household has been surveyed through pre-structured questionnaire. To assess the levels of various livelihood capital assets, all the five capitals i.e., natural, physical, financial, human and social capitals has been studied at household level by grouping the calculated data into three class intervals (i.e., high, medium and low). Index has been prepared to evaluate livelihood security and the livelihood diversification (Simpson Diversification Index) of the affected villages.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Arora, V., (2009). Our Future': Contested Development through Hydel Power in Democratic Sikkim’, Sociological Bulletin 58 (1): 94-114.

Bedeke, (2013). Review on Rural livelihood diversification among the smallholder farmers in some Africa countries. International Journal of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural development Vol. 1 (1), pp. 010-016. Available online at www.advancedscholarsjournals.org © Advanced Scholars Journals

Carney. (1999) LIVELIHOODS APPROACHES COMPARED: A brief comparison of the livelihoods approaches of the UK Department for International Development (DFID), CARE, Oxfam and the United Nations Devel. Nottingam.

Chambers and Conway, (1991). Sustainable Rural Livelihood: Practical concepts for the 21st century, IDS discussion paper, ISBN- 0903725589.

Huber. et al., (2015). Hydropower, Anti-Politics, and the Opening of New Political Spaces in the Eastern Himalayas. World Development Vol. 76, pp. 13–25, 2015 0305-750X/2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Loison et al., (2017). Survival Options, Processes of Change and Structural Transformation Livelihood diversification among smallholder households in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. Lund University.

Rai. B., (2017). Socio-Economic Impact of Hydro-Power Projects: A Study on Lepcha Community in Dzongu Block in Sikkim, 2001-2015. Sikkim University.

Scoones, I. (2009). Livelihoods perspectives and rural development. Journal of Peasant Studies Vol. 36, No. 1, January 2009

WCD, (2000). Dams and development: A new framework for decision-making The Report of the World Commission on Dams, London: Earthscan.

Published

2022-05-31

How to Cite

Karma Loday Tamang, & Subhakanta Mohapatra. (2022). Teesta Hydro-Electricity Projects and Livelihood Security in the Sikkim Himalaya: Issues and Challenges. Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities, 2(3), 48–54. https://doi.org/10.55544/ijrah.2.3.32

Issue

Section

Articles