The destroyed houses of Devi and her neighbors in Haat village are scattered amidst construction waste from a nearby hydroelectric power plant. A Hindu temple near the village is surrounded by debris, where Devi pointed out the remains of her house buried in the mess. She questions the kind of development that takes away homes from the poor to provide electricity to others. Devi's family is one of over 240 households in the village that were displaced due to the construction of a 444-megawatt hydropower project on the Alaknanda river. The power plant, funded by the World Bank, is just one of many hydroelectric projects underway in India's Himalayan states, with the goal of reducing the country's carbon emissions. The government believes that hydropower, along with solar and wind energy, is essential to achieving India's target of obtaining half of its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. Proponents of hydropower argue that it generates large amounts of clean electricity and can be quickly scaled up when solar and wind energy fall short. However, critics, including environmental organizations and communities affected by hydroelectric projects, argue that the significant environmental and social impacts are difficult to justify. For example, Devi, 63, reported that locals who refused to sell their land to the government-owned Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) were forcibly removed and detained while their homes were destroyed. Those who had previously agreed to sell their homes were given a "nominal" compensation of 1 million Indian rupees ($12,887) each, according to homemaker Devi, who now resides with her family in a nearby village. Sandeep Gupta, assistant general manager of the THDC project, stated that residents of Haat had voluntarily agreed to relocate and were fairly compensated. He also mentioned that the project was being monitored by government agencies to prevent any environmental harm, and so far no negative impact has been reported by these agencies. The International Energy Agency highlighted the untapped potential of hydropower in a June 2021 report, referring to it as "the forgotten giant of clean electricity." The report urged countries to incorporate hydropower into their energy mix to help achieve net-zero emissions. India currently has 46 gigawatts of installed hydropower capacity, which is only a third of its potential capacity according to government data. In 2019, the government officially recognized hydroelectric projects of over 25 MW as a renewable energy source in order to increase capacity. Power companies are now required to use hydro for a portion of their supply, whereas previously only smaller hydropower plants were considered renewable. Arun Kumar, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee specializing in hydropower and renewable energy, emphasized that expanding India's hydropower sector goes beyond electricity generation. He pointed out that hydroelectric dams can also provide a dependable water supply for various purposes and bring benefits such as tourism, employment opportunities, infrastructure development, and overall improvement in the quality of life in underdeveloped regions. Kumar, who is a board member of the International Hydropower Association based in London, highlighted the multiple advantages of large-scale hydro projects. Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, argues that it is not economically logical for India to build more hydropower plants when cheaper clean energy can be obtained from solar and wind projects. Thakkar points out that the cost of installing 1 MW of hydroelectric capacity in India is over 100 million rupees, which is double the cost of solar or wind-based capacity. He believes that corruption and weak regulation are the main reasons why Indian authorities are focused on hydropower. Thakkar also suggests that there is potential for inflated costs due to lack of regulatory oversight. Despite hydropower's reputation as a green energy source, some environmentalists believe that it does more harm than good. According to experts, hydro projects can have negative impacts on nearby communities by clearing forests, diverting rivers, disrupting groundwater recharge, and causing significant earth movement. These effects can make communities more vulnerable to extreme weather events. S.P. Sati, an environmental science professor at the College of Forestry-Ranichauri in Uttarakhand, highlighted the devastating floods in the state in 2013 that resulted in approximately 6,000 fatalities. An investigative committee appointed by India's Supreme Court found that hydroelectric projects had worsened the flood damage by causing rushing water to carry debris downstream, leading to the burial of low-lying communities. The committee's report also pointed out that construction activities such as digging and explosives use could potentially trigger landslides or slope failure. Sati expressed that if one overlooks the sensitivity, fragility, and carrying capacity of the terrain, hydropower could lead to significant disasters. The head of Haat village, Rajendra Prasad Hatwal, stated that residents would continue protesting and urging the local government to stop using their homes as dumping sites and properly compensate displaced families. He questioned India's heavy reliance on hydropower, citing the disruptions faced by countries like the United States, Brazil, and China due to climate change-induced droughts. Hatwal also raised concerns about the clearing of thousands of trees for the power plant, questioning the contradiction in promoting forest conservation to combat climate change. He described the situation as confusing and frustrating.