Dehra Dun, June 5
Another controversy is dogging the Ganga. While, the BJP government vows to start a campaign to clean it, the construction of a large number of hydro-electric projects on the river has agitated several eminent environmentalists.
Prof G.D. Aggarwal, an eminent environmental scientist and former professor of environmental sciences at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), who is also known as a saint-scientist, has decided to start an
indefinite fast-unto-death from June 13 to oppose the construction of hydro-electric projects on the river.
In a communication to all his students, disciples and followers, Prof Aggarwal wrote that “in the past few years, the continuity, quantity, quality and regime of flow of this precious river is being disrupted for the generation of hydro-electricity, like all other rivers.” He further said long stretches of the river were already becoming dry downstream of Maneri in Uttarkashi and in near future this might become the state of the entire river.
Five more projects on various tributaries are under construction up stream of Uttarkashi and 20 more medium-sized projects downstream are under various stages of planning or construction.
Tehri and Maneri Bhali phase-I and phase-11 projects are already there on the river. After criticism of the reservoir kind of projects that need large reservoirs and uprooting of a large number of people, the Uttarakhand government has given permission to “run off the river” type of projects building underground tunnels in the middle Himalayas, making the river disappear at large stretches.
“As a serious student of environmental sciences and faithful Hindu,
this is hard for me to swallow. I strongly believe that at least the Bhagirathi upstream of Uttarkashi should be spared,” he wrote. The state has identified more than 20,000 MW of power potential to be tapped through 190 projects. Already 14 projects worth 5,255 MW are being constructed in the state while 61 other hydro-electric projects are in various stages of planning and investigation. A total of 750 km of underground tunnels will be dug for these upcoming projects.
Prof Aggarwal, who stays at Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, proposes to start his indefinite fast on the banks of the river at Uttarkashi. Many of his students, environmentalists and disciples are expected to join him. On the other hand, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Major-Gen B.C. Khanduri proposes to launch a five-year plan to “save” Ganga from pollution. The government claims that with the implementation of the project, the purity of the river water will be maintained right from the Gaumukh and as it flows out of Uttarakhand into the plains of Uttar Pradesh.
