Dehradun, January 8
Efforts by the Uttarakhand government to exploit the hydro-electric potential of the state with the help of locals have begun to bear fruit with Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited receiving 1,000 bids for hydro projects.

To make Uttarakhand a ‘power’ state, the state government had decided to involve the locals in power generation. After initial reluctance, the locals, including gram panchayats, responded enthusiastically to the government scheme to develop small, mini and micro hydro-electric projects in the hill state.

The response to the scheme initially was lukewarm. But, persuasion, relaxation in norms and conditions and enhanced incentives saw more people taking interest in developmental projects. Bids were invited in September last year but owing to lack of public interest, the dates were postponed till December.

To attract a favourable response, various conditions related to turnover and cash components were relaxed.

Under the new power policy, preference is to be given to the locals, gram panchayats and cooperative societies to build and operate small, micro and mini hydel projects on various rivers, rivulets and other water bodies dotting the Himalayan state.

The initiative taken by Chief Minister BC Khanduri is in tandem with the new industrial policy that emphasises on growth of eco-friendly industry in the hills.

As per the state government policy, these hydro-electric projects have been grouped into three broad categories - micro, mini and small. Those with a capacity of up to 100 kw power generation will be categorised as micro, those in the range of 100 kw to 5 mw mini and those with 5 mw to 25 mw small. Those above 25 mw capacity will be considered as big projects.

The government has made a provision for self-identified projects. In this category, developers may identify projects, prepare detailed project reports (DPRs) and ask for allotment. In the other category, the state or state-sponsored agencies may identify the projects of any size, prepare project reports and get these allotted.

Small projects will be open to all and there will be no reservation. For this, premium will be decided once these are allotted depending upon the capacity of the project, say officials, adding that open competitive bidding will be held in this regard.

After overcoming opposition from environmental groups and problems of rehabilitation, the state government has started to explore the mini and micro hydro-electric potential of the state that could ultimately benefit the locals.

The state government agencies plan to involve watermills, also known as ‘gharats’, that dot the Himalayan region, for in power generation.

The government plans to generate 100 mw of power from these small hydro resources. Moreover, these small, mini and micro hydel projects do not require large investment and will be completed in little time. Unlike big hydro-electric projects that require large investment and bring with them the problems of uprooting of populations to accommodate reservoirs or tunnels in the fragile mountains, these projects are more eco-friendly.

The benefits of these small, mini and micro projects will go directly to the locals and will also be politically beneficial to Chief Minister Khanduri. Khanduri has been enthusiastic about these schemes and is hopeful that in the long run these would benefit the state as well as the people of the hills who will be major stakeholders in such ventures.

However, experts are skeptical about the approach of the government. Dr Anil P Joshi, founder of the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO), a voluntary group that has been instrumental in lighting up hundreds of villages with the help of the Army and paramilitary forces in J&K and the North-East by upgrading watermills, feels that without knowledge and skill upgradation,the poor villagers can do nothing.

“The entire policy is bureaucracy-centric without basic homework,” he commented. He said the poor villagers in the hills had neither the skills nor the moneyfor such a venture.

“First and foremost, local youth from industrial training institutes (ITIs) or polytechnics must be involved and be given basic skills. Moreover, the banks should be involved in the promotional strategy for such projects in the hills,” he said.

However, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited argues that banks will be involved in providing finances and the requisite technical knowhow will also be provided to successful bidders.

AK Tyagi, chief project officer, Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency, who has been working for renewable energy sources, believes that more and more people will come forward for these schemes.

Moreover, the state government has issued notices to small hydro projects that have not been completed since a decade. These projects with a capacity of less than 25 mw each were allocated before the formation of Uttarakhand in November 2000.

Twenty-two such projects were allocated before the formation of the state while 12 small projects were allotted after the state came into being. Out of these 34 projects, production has started in only three.

The state power department has issued notices to such allottees, asking them to explain the delay in the execution of the project within the stipulated timeframe. The government proposes to take over the projects which have not yet been started.

Dehradun, January 8
For Aman Rehman, an eight-year-old animation wizard from Dehradun who is the son of a motor mechanic, recognition at the international level has started pouring in even as the boy applies for an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records under the young achievers category. Aman has made over 1,000 animation movies.

Aman’s father M Rehman, an illiterate scooter mechanic who supports his wife and three children, claims that his son is the youngest wizkid and is very hopeful that it is only a matter of time that Aman gets an entry into the Guinness Book as the youngest computer wizkid in the world.

Presently enrolled in the faculty with “Explora Animation”, Aman has been teaching computer skills to BSc-level students at the College of Interactive Arts. He is also a visiting faculty member at some of renowned animation academies in North India.

Aman had met Sachin Tendukar last week in Mussoorie and he had appreciated Aman’s computer talents. He had met Congress general secretary and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi in October last year. Rahul had also viewed the entire presentation devoted to the Gandhi family made by Aman and also went through other science related presentations made by the boy. Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri had presented Aman with a laptop and he has also been felicitated by the President Pratibha Patil in Dec 2007.

Aman is well versed in 18 softwares. A class V student at the local St Thomas College, he is consulted by Bachelor of Science students.