As for now, it was thought that hydro dams are environment-friendly and do not contribute to global warming. But in a revelation that will astonish everyone, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research says Indian dams are the largest global warming contributors compared to other nations.
The study reveals that large dams in India are responsible for about a fifth of the country’s global warming impact. The dams emit a total of 33.5 million tonnes (MT) of methane per annum, which stands at 27.86 per cent of the total emissions from all large dams of the world. This includes emissions from reservoirs (1.1 MT), spillways (13.2 MT) and turbines of hydropower dams (19.2 MT).
India has to its credit the highest gravity dam, one of the largest dams in the world, yet the study highlights on such facts that could screw anyone’s mind. Brazil stands at number two with the emission of methane from its reservoirs being 21.8 MT per annum, which is 18.13 per cent of the global figure.
The Indian government should constitute a credible independent scientific study of the global warming impact of dams in the country that includes the actual measurement of methane and other GHG (greenhouse gas) emission from a sample of reservoirs.