Abstract
The town of Old Tehri, India has been inundated by a lake created by the construction of the Tehri Hydroelectric Dam, one of the Indian government’s newest modernization and development projects. This dam is beset by a paradox: it attempts to bring modernization and development to the far reaches of the territory, while creating displacement conflicts which can change a relatively few people’s lives for the potential benefit of millions of others. A new city designed for the displaced residents, New Tehri, has been presented by the government as a solution for the displaced people. However, by conducting fieldwork onsite in Tehri through personal observations and interviews, I was able to determine how the forced migration of this population has changed people’s daily lives in social, cultural, religious, and economic terms. Based upon these elements, I have additionally been able to explore how the government has reacted to the voices of tens of thousands of resettled citizens.
Recommended Citation
Newton, Jason
(2008)
"Displacement and Development: The Paradoxes of India’s Tehri Dam,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 49:
Iss.
1, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol49/iss1/2