Here is a food for thought: What is that one important contribution of humans to our ecosystems?
An honest probe would perhaps yield no answer.
Photo: PTI: www.deccanchronicle.com | August 03, 2014, 21:08 PM IST
It is very strange for me to write on a political issue, mainly because I do not read news very often. Embarrassing as it may sound but most of my global awareness comes from social networking sites and from conversations with my friends. Just yesterday, my Facebook wall was inundat ed with the ‘historical’ Narendra Modi’s speech he gave in front of the confused Constitutional Assembly in Nepal. Internet was full of articles on how Modi had made a history. What actually surprised me was that some of my Nepali friends were singing the heroics of the Indian Prime Minister (PM), and most of whom, were the same friends who used to express hopeless views on the Indo-Nepal politics.
Nobody had expected that Modi would commence his speech in Nepali. Even the Nepalese politicians were sharing their confused smirks with each other. History was made. It had taken 17 for an Indian PM to come to Nepal and in such a fashion. Such was the warmth in his speech that the Nepalese politicians were left thundering their desks in approval after each of his sentences. Even vigorous were their applauses when Modi pledged that Nepal’s electricity production would be increased by 5 to 6 times with the new India’s investment. Even a Nepali, who had lost hope in a better Indo-Nepal politics, was probably possessed by Modi aura and was convinced of a better future in Nepal amidst a dark and pessimistic energy prospects with almost 16 hours of power outages at times.
History was made. Or was it in the remaking? In this context though, I am talking about the hydro power plants. The twentieth century had seen the construction of large-scale dams and hydro power projects across the world. However, the world learned, through the rough way, that these projects completely altered river ecosystems, often separating channels and river flows. The water quality was destroyed, fisheries were harmed and aquatic ecosystems were more or less irreversibly disrupted. Egypt’s High Aswan Dam has been such an example of project that caused environmental impacts of sheer magnitude. And it is not only the aquatic system that is disturbed. The social fabric within the small communities that have been dwelling in the river banks since time immemorial, are severely deranged due to the river diversions. The world has repeatedly seen the repercussions of aggressive hydro power projects construction. Even the neighboring nation India has seen such aftermaths.
Now it is Nepal’s turn to pass through that same wheel of time. With no alternative to power generation, Hydro Power is the only renewable energy that Nepal can afford to invest in. We are inching in the same direction. History repeating itself. The trick however in my opinion is not staying clear of hydro power plants completely, but constructing them in a well-planned manner. The recent landslide in Sunkoshi Mountain in Nepal has made news in the Indian media and, they are speculating of a possible flooding of Koshi River again which will affect India as well. The floods in Mahakali River, on the Indo-Nepal border swept away 148 houses and displaced more than 500 people in Darchula, Nepal last year in June. There was a huge protest in Nepal demanding to end such unilateral and arbitrary constructions of hydro power projects in India.
Incidents like this haunt both Nepal and India of how improper planning of hydro power projects in the respective countries are causing problems on both sides. Therefore, the co-operation and bi-lateral action between the two countries is imperative.
Modi’s pledge to invest heavily in Nepal’s hydro-projects should come along with a huge responsibility from the Indian side to assist Nepal in insuring that the projects are well planned. Nepal looks up to India for developmental trends and policies. With Nepal’s politics reeling into a cloud of pessimism, it is going to come as a big challenge to check the corruption and ensure that the Environmental Impact Assessments of the projects are well worked out.
It was nevertheless magical; Modi’s entrance into the Nepalese political scene, that is. When the politicians in Nepal were bickering about petty issues and disagreements, Modi succeeded in penetrating into the hearts of us Nepali audiences. Though, a cynic within me was convinced that Modi’s motivations for the Nepal’s development were somewhat contrived, an optimist within me was telling me the opposite. Modi has his own reasons, having bought the aggressive economic progress as his election ticket’s agenda. In any case, history was definitely made.
Congrats Modi ji. And Jai Nepal!