Power vs Planet | How energy projects are weakening Earth’s Foundations

Dr Daisy Parihar
In recent years, the increasing occurrence of land sinking-or subsidence-in seismic regions has raised alarm bells among environmentalists, scientists, and local communities. Particularly troubling is the phenomenon in areas where large-scale hydroelectric projects are being constructed or operated. These sinking zones are not just geological anomalies; they are symptomatic of deeper issues rooted in human intervention, environmental mismanagement, and fragile geographies. This article explores why sinking zones form, how they affect the environment, humans, and wildlife, the specific role hydro projects play, and what technological and policy measures can be employed to mitigate the risk.
What Are Sinking Zones?
Sinking zones, or subsidence zones, refer to areas where the ground surface gradually or suddenly lowers. While this can occur due to natural geological processes, human activities such as excessive groundwater extraction, mining, and infrastructure development-especially in sensitive seismic areas-can accelerate the phenomenon.
In seismic zones, the earth’s crust is already under stress due to tectonic movements. When additional pressure or imbalance is introduced, such as from large-scale hydro projects, it can lead to land sinking, landslides, or even trigger earthquakes.
Why Do Sinking Zones Happen?
Several factors contribute to the development of sinking zones in seismic areas, particularly during or after hydro project construction:
Water Pressure and Seepage: The creation of large reservoirs behind dams increases the water load on the land. Water seeping through porous rocks or faults can lubricate fault lines and trigger shifts in the earth’s crust.
Soil Saturation and Weakening: Continuous saturation of soil due to leaks or reservoir seepage can lead to soil erosion and weakening of landmass, making it prone to sinking.
Excavation and Blasting: The extensive drilling, blasting, and tunneling required in hydro projects can destabilize already fragile geological formations.
Deforestation and Land Use Change: Construction of hydro projects often involves clearing of forests, which naturally help anchor soil and stabilize the terrain. Their removal exposes land to erosion and destabilization.
Groundwater Depletion: Excessive use of groundwater for construction or related activities can cause the upper layers of soil to collapse into the voids left behind, contributing to sinking.
How Hydro Projects Contribute
While hydroelectric power is celebrated as a renewable energy source, the scale and placement of these projects matter immensely. In India and other Himalayan regions, hydroelectric projects are often situated in ecologically fragile, tectonically active zones.
For instance, several studies in the Uttarakhand region-particularly after the 2021 Chamoli disaster-have pointed out that tunnel boring and dam construction in unstable mountain geology have contributed to land subsidence and flash floods. The town of Joshimath, a gateway to popular pilgrimages and trekking routes, began to experience alarming land sinking in 2022, with cracks appearing in homes, roads, and temples. Experts attributed this to unscientific construction, aggressive hydro project activity, and poor geological understanding.
A 2023 study by the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) used satellite imagery to confirm gradual sinking in various areas around hydroelectric sites. These insights validated what many residents and activists had long feared: unchecked infrastructure development without environmental due diligence can turn thriving towns into sinking zones.
Scientific Insight: Reservoir-Induced Seismicity
One of the most respected voices on this issue is Dr. Harsh Gupta, an eminent Indian seismologist, who pioneered research on Reservoir-Induced Seismicity (RIS). His studies on the 1967 Koyna earthquake in Maharashtra showed a direct correlation between the filling of the Koyna Dam reservoir and increased seismic activity in the region. Dr. Gupta emphasized that large dams in tectonically active zones can alter the stress distribution in the Earth’s crust, potentially triggering earthquakes. His work remains foundational in understanding the seismic risks posed by hydroelectric projects.
Environmental Impact
The consequences of land sinking in seismic zones are multifold and devastating:
Loss of Biodiversity: The disruption of land and water systems can wipe out local flora and fauna. Wildlife corridors get blocked, migratory patterns are affected, and aquatic life suffers due to altered water flow and siltation.
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation: Loose, sinking land increases erosion. Sediments end up in rivers, altering their course, choking aquatic habitats, and reducing the life of reservoirs and dams.
Altered Hydrology: As ground levels change, so do the flow patterns of rivers and streams. Springs may dry up, wetlands may vanish, and new water bodies may emerge in unstable ways, disturbing local ecosystems.
Forest Loss: Trees cannot survive in areas where the ground shifts, cracks, or floods frequently, further accelerating ecological collapse.
Impact on Humans and Animals
The human cost of sinking zones is immediate and tragic:
Displacement: Families are forced to abandon homes built over generations. Cracks in buildings, collapsed roads, and unsafe terrain make life unlivable.
Economic Loss: Tourism-dependent regions like Joshimath suffer massive income loss. Agriculture is disrupted as soil becomes infertile or waterlogged.
Mental Health Crisis: Sudden displacement, uncertainty, and fear of further disasters cause anxiety, depression, and trauma, particularly among children and the elderly.
Animals, both domestic and wild, face displacement and starvation. Pastures disappear, water sources dry up, and natural habitats become inaccessible. Conflicts between humans and wildlife increase as animals wander into populated areas in search of food and shelter.
Technologies and Studies Aiding Understanding
Modern science is increasingly playing a role in predicting and mitigating the effects of sinking zones. Key tools and studies include:
Remote Sensing and Satellite Imagery: Agencies like ISRO and NASA use high-resolution imagery to track land subsidence in real-time.
LIDAR Technology: Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) helps create detailed topographical maps, showing subtle shifts in land elevation over time.
Geotechnical Investigations: Ground-penetrating radar and seismic reflection surveys identify fault lines, underground water flows, and rock integrity.
Hydrological Modeling: Advanced software models simulate the impact of damming and tunneling on local water systems and predict pressure build-up.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: These are being used to analyze vast datasets from multiple sources-satellite, geological, climatic-to predict potential disaster zones before visible damage occurs.
What Needs to Be Done
To protect both the environment and communities, several actions must be taken:
Strict Environmental Clearances: No project should proceed without comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), particularly in seismic zones.
Community Involvement: Local populations must be consulted and informed. Their indigenous knowledge can offer valuable insights into the landscape’s history and vulnerabilities.
Limit Infrastructure Load: Urban planning must consider geological limits. Mass tourism and urban sprawl in fragile areas should be regulated.
Monitoring Systems: Establish early warning systems for land sinking, integrating real-time data from satellites, sensors, and local observers.
Green Infrastructure: Promote afforestation, bioengineering techniques like grass-planting on slopes, and water conservation to maintain ecological balance.
Shift Focus from Large to Micro Hydro Projects: Smaller, run-of-the-river hydro plants have less environmental impact and do not require massive dams or reservoirs.
Innovations for a Safer Future
Emerging technologies offer hope:
Smart Dams: Equipped with IoT sensors, these dams monitor stress levels, water pressure, and seismic activity in real time and can alert authorities of impending issues.
Geosynthetics: These materials, used in slope stabilization and erosion control, reinforce the ground without disturbing natural ecosystems.
Digital Twins of Terrain: Creating virtual replicas of landscapes helps simulate and visualize the long-term impact of projects before implementation.
Eco-Restoration Drones: Drones can seed vegetation in inaccessible areas and monitor ecological restoration from the air.
Conclusion
The crisis of sinking zones in seismic regions, especially in the context of hydro projects, underscores the need for a more harmonious relationship between development and nature. While the pursuit of renewable energy is essential, it must not come at the cost of lives, ecosystems, and cultural heritage. A combination of responsible policy, cutting-edge technology, and community engagement can ensure that we tread lightly on the fragile earth-building a future that is resilient, safe, and sustainable.
But we must ask ourselves: Do these developments truly serve the greater good of the area, or are they eroding the very ground-literally and figuratively-on which communities and ecosystems stand? The environment is not just a backdrop for progress; it is our collective legacy. What we destroy today in the name of energy and infrastructure will shape the lives and losses of tomorrow.
Future generations will inherit not just our advancements, but also our mistakes. If we fail to act with caution, wisdom, and humility, they will not pardon us for the damage we leave behind. It is our responsibility-perhaps our greatest moral obligation to preserve the land, water, and life that sustains us, and to pass it forward with care.

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