Science, technology and society are interlinked and connected with the human civilisation. We cannot think of one of them in isolation from the others, said scientist Prof Dhirendra Sharma at a consultative meet for stakeholders of power projects held at Rural litigation and Entitlement Kendra. He further emphasised the need and importance of hydro projects, claiming that apart from North and South poles, there is a third pole in form of the Himalayas, which is resourceful with water and is indestructible. He said all the claims of the Himalayas being damaged are false and misleading.
The meet was attended by 30 panelists, including prominent hydro power project managers of the country and other stakeholders aside from some citizens from Uttarakhand. The aim of the consultative meet was to discuss the problem of energy shortage and its linkage with development due to the stalled hydro power projects in the state of Uttrakhand.
GB Patel, managing director, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam ltd, said that compared to other power sources like coal, nuclear and solar energy, hydel power is highly economical. And as such, it provides a cost- effective solution for meeting the rising energy demands.
Hemachandra Sakhlani, a literary person, said that it is important to generate awareness among general public about the merits and cost benefits of hydro power projects so that the politicians for their petty gains are not able to eyewash them in the name of environmental degradation.
Senior geologist HK Singh said, Uttarakhand has a lot of potential to produce hydro power. “I want to ask the people who are opposing the hydro power projects what would have been the fate of Rishikesh and Haridwar had Tehri dam not been there when the natural disaster in Kedarnath occurredIJ” he asked.
It was unanimously decided that a movement would be launched to force Uttarakhand Government and Central Government to not just restart the work on the suspended projects but pave a way for faster clearance for the hydel projects lying in the pipeline. It was decided that the campaign would be launched on January 24, 2015.