Title: Impact of Hydro-power development on Indigenous peoples’ lives in Nepal: A case study of Magars affected by Tanahu Hydro-power Project in Tanahu District.

Abstract (English)

This paper explains the situation of Magar people, living in Tanahau District, in Western Nepal, who are in the verge of facing social, cultural and financial crises and displacement. Tanahau Hydropower project has been established in 2012 with 140 megawat, 150 km in Tanahau district as a small subsidiary company under Nepal Electricity Board. Total 3919 people living in 547 households are affected by this THP project. Among 475 households, 396 individuals are in highly vulnerable to risks on which 346 belongs to Indigenous groups which cover 87 percent highly affected. Tanahu hydro-power project has announced the land acquisition process and many have accepted the compensation leaving their land right to THP. Among these, 38 households(in the beginning) are highly affected, has been shrink-ed into 31 households. These people were not ready to accept the declared compensation, started agitating against Tanahu Hydro-power project, directly. They are fighting for their rights over their land, for equal compensation of their land valuation and standing for their rights expressing for their future opportunity to maintain their Magar community as their social bonding to protect their ancestral deities, continuation of their cultural social institutions and their vulnerable situation of not able to collect wild vegetation as nutritional supplementation besides cultivating crops and lentils for their livelihood. They are alleging THP project for not providing information following FPIC under UN Indigenous Forum as community rights during land acquisition process.
Survey methods along with groups discussions were followed to collect information from 31 households who are not ready to accept the compensation. All 31 households were consulted, visited their land area, observe ancestral worshiping places and cremation area. Women are highly affected by this land acquisition process where they have to face the challenges to sustain their daily lives.

Findings suggest that, indigenous people, majority of them living near to forest and river sides are being displaced with the decision of Government to built Dam as the development process are affecting the livelihood of local indigenous people in Nepal. Without direct consultation, without providing information properly, they are loosing their ancestral land affecting their social and cultural practices that keep them to be distinct as a group. This research will bring issues that development is essential but also directly affecting indigenous people and their livelihood in Nepal.