Hydropower cover

Vol no. 10 Issue No. 62

Inside this issue

Hydropower

Pricing and Energy Choice

By: Dr Sanjib Pohit

In recent times, the growth of hydropower has received a set back as negative externalities of hydropower are taken into project accounting and companies need to compensate the stakeholders for the same. However, hydropower companies are not compensated for the positive externalities in terms of better environment after completion of the projects.

Hydropower Development in NE India

By: Dr Sharad Jain

The North Eastern region is a storehouse of immense possibilities for hydropower by virtue of its majestic rivers. However, a carefully drafted plan which is inclusive of concerns for all the stakeholders and cooperation from the neighbouring countries such as China is essential.

Wither Big Dams, Long Live Big Dams the debate continues

By: Prof. Saraswati Raju

The debate on dams explores the classic clash between official discourse on development and people’s aspirations at large. Because of the ecological, cultural and spatial configurations of states, issues for new and existing power projects become uniquely cross border concerns. A carefully architected approach which keeps in sight both environmental sustainability and pro-people stance is the order of the day.

Energy education

Education and Energy Conservation

By: Dr Mandakini Das

Environmental education incorporates rudimentary portions on energy studies mainly dealing with sustainable development. But what is needed is specific energy education programmes, which will help in developing sustained changes in the behaviour and attitude of current and future energy consumers in India.

Lucknow’s Solar Powered Zoo

By: Anjali Singh

Lucknow’s Prince of Wales Zoological Garden is the first zoo in the country to use solar energy. Nearly all the zoo offices, streetlights and kitchen run on solar power. Another six months and the entire establishment will switch to this eco-friendly fuel–including water pumps, animal hospitals, water heating systems, nursery, water power ejectors that run the fountain, vehicles that ferry visitors within the zoo, ticket house and even the quaint lanterns that decorate the main gate!

Reports and studies

World Development Report

By: Staff Reporter

Since high income countries with much less population (sixth of the world’s population) generate nearly two thirds of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, their liability towards protecting the environment has to be proportionate to the damage in keeping with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

World Trade Report

By: Staff Reporter

The World Trade Report examines differing inter-generational and international interests to make transparent, predictable, well designed and equitable trade rules with particular reference to fish, forestry, fuels and mining products. It excludes agricultural products as they are cultivated rather than extracted from the natural environment.

Ozone Report

By: Staff Reporter

TWO-WAY LINK BETWEEN OZONE LAYER AND CLIMATE CHANGE International efforts to protect the ozone layer, the shield that protects life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet rays, are a success and have stopped additional ozone losses and contributed to mitigating the greenhouse effect, according to a new report.

Hydropower News

By: Staff Reporter

An update on recent happenings in the water power sector.

India Outdoors

Tourism and Environment

By: Kamal Kishore Srivastava

Tourism and environment are mutually interlinked–a well cared spot has the potential to attract prospective tourists. However, in India, ill planned tourism has impacted the environment negatively. While tourism provides well defined economic opportunities a better informed and environment friendly tourism is the need of the hour.

The Cascades of Bastar

By: Staff Reporter

The Chitrakot boasts of delightful year round cascades, rising to a muddy monsoon crescendo as the waters tumble over a craggy arc. A little beyond are the romantic Tirathgarh falls that surge down forested tracts in a translucent gush of foaming waters.

In Deogarh

By: Rajesh K Singh

The idyllic town steeped in history, houses a medieval fort and a complex of Jain temples. The exquisite carving and exemplary architecture have set trends for later developments in Bundelkhand and is a must see for the intellectually inclined despite the inadequate infrastructure and lack of upkeep.

The Blackbucks of Vetnai

By: Sumit Chakraborty

A non-descript village Vetnai in the Ganjam district of Orissa, is a safe haven to the endangered blackbucks. The villagers fiercely protect the animals, perceiving them as the harbingers of good fortune. This is quite in contrast with the pastime of some who take pleasure in hunting the rare and beautiful antelope.

A Turbulent Devbhumi

By: Dr S Srinivasan

The deafening roar of the mighty Ganga, nearly three times its normal width, transporting boulders and earth from the majestic Himalayas must be experienced to be believed. Framed at one end by the span of the Ram Jhoola the muddy waters trundled down as black clouds gathered strength in the background. Soon golden spotlights through the dark clouds were obliterated as the River turned into a boiling cauldron.

Opinion

Planning for Power

By: Utpal Moral

As a nation we have always been acutely short of electricity. Pragmatic power planning and proper co-ordination by an apex body has become the need of the hour and Indian consumers should be prepared to pay realistically and judiciously for the energy they consume.

In Conversation with

Why dams should be removed India at crossroads

By: Staff Reporter

Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala acquired his doctoral degree in economics from University of Florida at the age of 23. He returned to India and joined Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore as an Assistant Professor. He, at present lives in the lower Himalayas in Uttarakhand. In an eye opening conversation with the editor, G’nY, Dr Jhunjhunwala unravels the complexities of the dam-removal-phenomenon now underway in the US.

In brief

Editor's Note

Dear readers, Meet Dineshbhai Tadvi and his youngest daughter, Kantiben. The backdrop is Sardar Sarovar parking lot and the prop is a basket full of exceeding sweet custard apples. The play unfolds. Halting their early morning sojourn to the market at my behest, Dineshbhai offers the best fruits fr

Term Power

What is ...

An anabranch is a section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel or stem of the watercourse and rejoins the main stem downstream. Local anabranches can be the result of small islands in the watercourse. In larger anabranches, the flow can diverge for a distance of several kilometres before rejoining the main channel.

The percentage of fish moving toward a dam’s turbine units that are diverted away by a fish guidance device, such as a submersible traveling screen.

Measure of the volume of water which a structure can pass or measure of the volume and flow of water within a watercourse.

A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills.

The dam whereby the natural flow and elevation drop of a river are used to generate electricity. No large reservoirs are built for water storage in such projects.

Having a total catchment area of 61642 Sq.Km, Indira Sagar Project is the mother project for the downstream projects on Narmada Basin with largest reservoir in India, having 12.22 bm3 storage capacity.

An opening at a low level from a reservoir generally used for emptying or for scouring sediments and sometimes for irrigation releases.

A spillway is a structure used to provide for the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or destroy the dam.

The tail race tunnel or channel are provided to direct the used water coming out of draft tube back to the river. Tail race is designed in such a way that water hammer is minimized when water leaves the draft tube.

A basin constructed to dissipate the energy of fast-flowing water from an outlet. Also known as stilling box.

In hydrologic terms, a graph showing the relation between the surface area of the water in a reservoir, the corresponding volume, and elevation, is the area-capacity curve.

Surge tank signifies a reservoir which mitigates pressure variations due to rapid changes in velocity of water. It absorbs the water hammer effects due to rapid start or closure of the turbine.

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