Hydropower is important. But how important? Is it important enough to dry out stretches of our rivers? Or is there a way to balance energy needs with the imperative of a flowing, healthy river?
I have been grappling with these issues for the past few months. But now that the committee (of which I was a member) on the hydropower projects on the Ganga has submitted its report, let me explain how I see the way ahead.
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/retrain-engineers-not-ganga
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/sunita-narain
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/newspaper/business-standard-new-delhi
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/ganga
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/dams
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/hydroelectricity
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/bhagirathi
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/alakananda
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/energy
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/riverine-ecology
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/ecosystems
[12] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/sunita-narain
[13] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/cse
[14] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/fish
[15] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/biodiversity
[16] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/indian-institute-technology-iit
[17] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/dams-irrigation