Mega Dams and CDM Fraud in Sikkim

The author contends that hydropower projects in Sikkim, such as Teesta III and Teesta VI, are not 'additional' because hydropower is common practice in India's North East, meaning they do not actually reduce emissions. The text alleges that developers misled the UNFCCC and bypassed mandatory stakeholder consultations regarding CDM credits. Furthermore, it highlights the failure to recognize Lepcha peoples' land rights and the absence of holistic impact assessments in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), leading to landslides and house destruction. The document concludes that the CDM's verification process is weak and calls for the immediate revocation of all big hydro CDM registrations in the region.

• Hydropower projects in Sikkim, including the 1200 MW Teesta III and 500 MW Teesta VI, are not 'additional' and do not reduce emissions because hydropower is already common practice in India's North East region.
• The stakeholder consultation process for the Teesta III and Teesta VI projects was faulty because developers did not disclose their plans to seek CDM credits during public hearings or consultations.
• The construction of dams on the Teesta River has ignored the rights of the Lepcha people and failed to provide comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), resulting in landslides and the destruction of homes.
• The CDM's governance and verification systems are described as too weak, with claims that the National CDM Authority (NCDMA) does not effectively evaluate projects for additionality or sustainable development.
• Some projects, such as the 96 MW Jorethang Loop project on the Rangit River, have already been registered and are generating non-additional carbon credits.

APA

Yumnam, J. (2013). Mega Dams and CDM Fraud in Sikkim. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2013/03/27/mega-dams-and-cdm-fraud-in-sikkim/

Chicago

Yumnam, Jiten. Mega Dams and CDM Fraud in Sikkim. Carbon Market Watch, 2013. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2013/03/27/mega-dams-and-cdm-fraud-in-sikkim/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Yumnam |first1=Jiten |title=Mega Dams and CDM Fraud in Sikkim |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=27 March 2013 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2013/03/27/mega-dams-and-cdm-fraud-in-sikkim/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{yumnam2013mega, author = {Yumnam, Jiten}, title = {{Mega Dams and CDM Fraud in Sikkim}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2013/03/27/mega-dams-and-cdm-fraud-in-sikkim/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }