Mega power projects hold the key

Arguing against Sardar Sarovar dam, water expert Himanshu Thakkar wrote, Rich people in Delhis posh Greater Kailash area may have 20 air conditioners and the capacity to pay for the electricity required, but is that sufficient reason for building large dams. Opposition to development projects has always invoked the myth that electricity is mostly used by the rich for their material comforts.

Power ministry gets a jolt

Environment ministry realizes it can reject shoddy EIAs

South Asia

Hydel plant stalled: The proposed agreement between Nepal and an Australian company on building a 750 MW hydel plant on the Seti river is extremely objectionable, said a parliamentary committee. It has directed the government not to sign the deal until it studies 20 objectionable clauses in the agreement, drafted 12 years ago. A clause says the law of Britain will be applicable if any dispute surfaces regarding the project. "This is objectionable for any country," said a committee member. Once the government accepts the clauses, its own laws

Dibang dam on hold

The construction of the tallest dam in India on river Dibang in Arunachal Pradesh has been delayed. Reason: the promoters of the project, central government owned National Hydro Power Corporation (nhpc), did not submit the proposal, for environmental clearance, in time. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has now asked for a fresh proposal and a fresh public hearing to get approval of the people who would be affected by the project.

Environment ministry in clean-up mode

Chairperson of expert committee on hydro-power projects resigns the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (moef) will change members or heads of expert committees if any conflict of interest is perceived in clearing projects, said union minister Jairam Ramesh.

South Asia

Going powerless: Bangladesh is facing an acute shortage of natural gas supply that has crippled its power sector. The Power Development Board currently faces a shortfall of 165 million cubic feet per day (mcfd). At present it requires 850 mcfd of gas to generate around 4,000 megawatt (MW) of electricity but receives only 685 mcfd. With the arrival of summer, the situation has deteriorated in urban areas, including the capital city, Dhaka. To meet the increasing power demand, the board has announced regular power cuts every alternate hour.

Ganga's moment

Enter the tunnel

A run of the river project is of two types, one that requires a long tunnel and the other that requires a huge reservoir. The river is diverted through a tunnel and the water falls on a turbine from a height, generating electricity. In a reservoir-run of the river project, the tunnel is small as the volume of water is responsible for generating electricity. The water is released back into the river through another tunnel called the tailrace tunnel after

Advantage Ganga

The Ganga is said to have special chemical qualities, which accord it its purity. High concentration of calcium and magnesium is found in the water, says a study carried out by researchers of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. "This tells us that rubbing with stones imparts this quality to the Ganga waters," the study says. According to the Central Pollution Control Board standards for water quality, both Bhagirathi and Alaknanda are 'A' class rivers. This means that the water in these rivers is potable without conventional treatment but after disinfection.

Behind closed door

The facts in the EIA report presented to villagers during the public hearing of Pala Maneri were different from the ones submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). "The EIA for villagers showed that there would be a surface power house while the one submitted at the MoEF showed it would be underground. The fact that two crematorium, which have religious significance for local people, would be submerged was shown to MoEF, but kept away from villagers. Also, there was a difference in the installed capacity mentioned in the two," said