Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Hydel projects

This is with reference to the article `Hydel projects and perils: an instance in Kerala' (May 3). Kerala is lit and run mainly by hydroelectric power since the days when the Lakshmi Power Station was constructed in the Munnar High Ranges. It is naïve to think that hydel power can be generated without impacting the ecology; ecological damage and river valley projects go hand in hand. The huge hydel projects of Kerala, such as, Sabarigiri, Idukki, Kuttiyadi, etc., have submerged vast tracts of tropical rain forests. But, the stark reality is we sweat and fret if there is a power shutdown even for a short duration; electricity is indispensable. Therefore, until wind and solar energy can be harnessed comparatively efficiently and cheaply we have perforce to depend upon hydel, thermal, and nuclear energy. It would be worthwhile to conduct a scientific assessment of the environmental damage the river valley projects have caused and evolve solutions for regeneration of land and forests. Future projects can benefit from such studies.

V. Balachandran,
Bangalore

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