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The construction of the Rihand Dam falls into a larger paradigm, as its construction has arguably propagated more problems than it has benefits. Writing in 2003, reporter Diane Raines Ward found:<blockquote> | The construction of the Rihand Dam falls into a larger paradigm, as its construction has arguably propagated more problems than it has benefits. Writing in 2003, reporter Diane Raines Ward found:<blockquote> | ||
A 1995 Indian Environment Ministry report revealed that 87 percent of India’s river-valley projects did not meet required safeguards. Recent reports show that larger dam reservoirs are silting up at rates far higher than assumed when the projects were built, that the life span of major Indian dams is likely to be only two-thirds of their projected life, and that every dam built in India during the last 15 years has violated various environmental regulations — from siltation and soil erosion, to the neglect of health, seismological, forest, wildlife, human, and clean water issues.<ref name=":5" /></blockquote> | A 1995 Indian Environment Ministry report revealed that 87 percent of India’s river-valley projects did not meet required safeguards. Recent reports show that larger dam reservoirs are silting up at rates far higher than assumed when the projects were built, that the life span of major Indian dams is likely to be only two-thirds of their projected life, and that every dam built in India during the last 15 years has violated various environmental regulations — from siltation and soil erosion, to the neglect of health, seismological, forest, wildlife, human, and clean water issues.<ref name=":5" /></blockquote> | ||
As the world's largest democracy and second most populous country, Indian leaders must balance the goals of economic development with democratic ideals and the overall welfare of its people. While economic growth is attractive, it alone cannot increase the welfare of Indian people and growth pursued in this matter will not only not bring about long term growth, but it will kill people in the process and make India uninhabitable. [[Amartya Sen]] and [[Jean Drèze]] discuss these tensions, acknowledging "issues of economic development in India have to be seen in the larger context of the demands of democracy and social justice."<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Drèze, Jean|title=An uncertain glory : India and its contradictions|others=Sen, Amartya, 1933-|date=11 August 2013|isbn=978-0-691-16079-5|location=Princeton, New Jersey|oclc=846540422}}</ref> They push back against India's preoccupation with simply increasing its GDP per capita, as such a metric is limited in scope and fails to capture what is being done with that increase in wealth, who is benefitting from it, and whether people's lives are materially improving. They write:<blockquote>Those who dream about India becoming an economic superpower, even with its huge proportion of undernourished children, lack of systematic health care, extremely deficient school education, and half the homes without toilets (forcing half of all Indians to practise open defecation), have to reconsider not only the reach of their understanding of the mutual relationship between growth and development, but also their appreciation of the demands of social justice, which is integrally linked with the expansion of human freedoms.<ref name=":6" /></blockquote>Sen and Drèze push for sustainable growth; growth that is environmentally sustainable but socially sustainable so that the gains are not zero sum. Instead, sustainable growth maximizes the number of individuals who benefit, while minimizing the hardship and complications that arise from economic expansion. The construction of the Rihand Dam and the destruction it caused in the lives of hundreds of thousands exemplify the need for such an approach. This is achievable, but requires patience and a commitment to working within this framework. NGOs working with villages and small towns to bring back water collection methods speak to the efficacy of such an approach, showing mega-projects are not the only solution.<ref name=":5" /> Local level provisions like these can often solve the problem more effectively, as locals are more privy to their own needs and how their immediate area operates. | As the world's largest democracy and second most populous country, Indian leaders must balance the goals of economic development with democratic ideals and the overall welfare of its people. While economic growth is attractive, it alone cannot increase the welfare of Indian people and growth pursued in this matter will not only not bring about long term growth, but it will kill people in the process and make India uninhabitable. [[Amartya Sen]] and [[Jean Drèze]] discuss these tensions, acknowledging "issues of economic development in India have to be seen in the larger context of the demands of democracy and social justice."<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Drèze, Jean|title=An uncertain glory : India and its contradictions|others=Sen, Amartya, 1933-|date=11 August 2013|isbn=978-0-691-16079-5|location=Princeton, New Jersey|oclc=846540422}}</ref> They push back against India's preoccupation with simply increasing its GDP per capita, as such a metric is limited in scope and fails to capture what is being done with that increase in wealth, who is benefitting from it, and whether people's lives are materially improving. They write:<blockquote>Those who dream about India becoming an economic superpower, even with its huge proportion of undernourished children, lack of systematic health care, extremely deficient school education, and half the homes without toilets (forcing half of all Indians to practise open defecation), have to reconsider not only the reach of their understanding of the mutual relationship between growth and development, but also their appreciation of the demands of social justice, which is integrally linked with the expansion of human freedoms.<ref name=":6" /></blockquote>Sen and Drèze push for [[sustainable growth]]; growth that is environmentally sustainable but socially sustainable so that the gains are not zero sum. Instead, sustainable growth maximizes the number of individuals who benefit, while minimizing the hardship and complications that arise from economic expansion. The construction of the Rihand Dam and the destruction it caused in the lives of hundreds of thousands exemplify the need for such an approach. This is achievable, but requires patience and a commitment to working within this framework. NGOs working with villages and small towns to bring back water collection methods speak to the efficacy of such an approach, showing mega-projects are not the only solution.<ref name=":5" /> Local level provisions like these can often solve the problem more effectively, as locals are more privy to their own needs and how their immediate area operates. | ||
By 2019, various Indian companies such as the [[Shapoorji Pallonji Group]] and [[ReNew Power]] had won the rights to invest ₹7.5 billion ($106 million) to build solar panels with a capacity of 150MW on the Rihand Dam.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/productline/power-generation/up-government-clears-states-first-floating-solar-power-plant-on-rihand-dam/articleshow/71065036.cms?from=mdr|title=UP government clears state's first floating solar power plant on Rihand Dam|date=2019-09-10|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref> A project like this shows not only how sustainable policies and projects are possible, but existing infrastructure can be used in new and different ways to yield more benefit. | By 2019, various Indian companies such as the [[Shapoorji Pallonji Group]] and [[ReNew Power]] had won the rights to invest ₹7.5 billion ($106 million) to build solar panels with a capacity of 150MW on the Rihand Dam.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/productline/power-generation/up-government-clears-states-first-floating-solar-power-plant-on-rihand-dam/articleshow/71065036.cms?from=mdr|title=UP government clears state's first floating solar power plant on Rihand Dam|date=2019-09-10|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref> A project like this shows not only how sustainable policies and projects are possible, but existing infrastructure can be used in new and different ways to yield more benefit. | ||