Microhydro Drives Change in Rural Nepal

-By AMY YEE
BAGLUNG, NEPAL: In Rangkhani, a remote mountain village in western Nepal, a 12- hour walk on steep dirt roads from Baglung, the district’s chief town, families until a decade ago used kerosene and butter lamps to banish the darkness when dusk fell. River water is channeled to mi- crohydro facilities, providing power for villagers. The generators have little effect on the environment and the waterways are similar to irriga- tion channels already in use. Communication and health care were poor. Work, apart from traditional farming and small trade, was scarce.But since 2001, a microhydro project has harnessed the tumbling waters of the nearby Kalung Khola river to provide electricity for Rhangkhani and neighboring villages.


The World Bank estimates that Nepal’s swift-flowing torrents could supply as much as 83,000 megawatts of electricity through such projects, some without costly and environmentally damaging dams, making them one of the largest untapped hydro power resources in the world.“Nature has given us tough terrain: It’s difficult for infrastructure,” said Bhupendra Shakya, a renewable energy expert in Katmandu.“But it’s suitable for hydro,” added Mr. Shakya, who works with Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood, a project run jointly by the Nepalese government, the U.N. Development Program and the World Bank.


When the Kalung Khola plant was built, the villagers at first did not believe that water could create electricity. Khagaraj Sharma, 48, a school teacher, recalled in a recent interview how 150 people had gathered at the small powerhouse for the startup ceremony. All eyes were fixed on a light bulb outside the one-room concrete shed housing a generator powered by running river water. When the bulb glowed, villagers cheered and danced.

CPCB fails to file report on groundwater contamination by Dow’s Bhopal plant in Supreme Court

New Delhi : In a letter to ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), Vijay Panjwani, Supreme Court lawyer for Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has assured that “CPCB would file report (on groundwater contamination by Dow’s Bhopal plant) as soon it is ready. There is no reason for CPCB to hold back or delay filing of report on contaminated ground water in Arif Nagar,etc near UCC/UCIL/DOWCHEMICAL plant in Bhopal.” 

The report of ground water contamination by the plant of Dow Chemical Company’s Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) has not yet been filed although the deadline for filing it on June 4, 2012 is long over.

In a letter to Mira Mehrishi, Chairperson, CPCB, Additional Secretary Union Ministry of Environment & Forests, TWA had reminded CPCB about the need for filing the report on removal of contamination of ground water in UCC’s Bhopal plant area in compliance with Supreme Court Order dated April 19, 2012 and March 28, 2012. A copy of the letter was also sent to Panjwani as well. The letter dated July 14, 2012 is attached.

Panjwani added, “Even otherwise supreme court has not stopped you to go ahead and collect samples immediately for presence of toxic heavy metals.” TWA feels that after the rains the test results of the samples will not be credible due to dilution by rains.

Quebec, Canada and UK Urged to Stop Financial Support to White Asbestos Industry‏

New Delhi: In a letter to Jean Charest, Premier, Government of Quebec, Canada and Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, Government of Canada, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA) has expressed its sense of outrage and dismay at the announcement of a $58 million loan for revival of the Jeffrey Asbestos mine under the influence of Chrysotile Institute, a white asbestos industry funded group. Canadian High Commission has confirmed that the letter dated July 6, 2012 has been sent to their offices. 


In a separate letter to Prime Minister of Government of United Kingdom his urgent intervention has been sought to stop banks, financial institutions and companies from investing in the Indian white asbestos industry. TWA has pointed out that companies like Jagjiwan Enchem Udyog Limited Company are admittedly “associated with world’s leading 150 years old reputed company M/s. Scandura Ltd., the British Belting Asbestos group of companies. Mr. Dilip J. Pandya founder promoter of the company had undergone intensive
asbestos process training at M/s. Scandura Ltd., in England.” The company reveals that its Aqua Dispersion Process technology imported from *BRITISH BELTING & ASBESTOS GROUP of U.K. *The letter dated July 10, 2012 is attached. Such involvement of British business interests in asbestos companies is unacceptable. This also reveals a manifest case of double standard given the fact that use of asbestos is banned in UK.

Beware of Campaign by POSCO and Government to create ‘Feel Good’ ambience for project

By Prashant Paikaray
Recently the government and POSCO have engaged in a media campaign aimed at confusing the entire mass.  They claim to have “downsized” the proposed steel plant, that the “people are coming around” and that the plant construction work will start in October 2012 etc. These  are apparently made to create a ‘feel good’ ambience in favour of the project. Stay cautious on such claims as many of such may simply be bewildering!   


The fact that the people still oppose this unjust project is shown by the fact that yesterday i.e. on 9th July 2012, more than 700 villagers staged a rally in Dhinkia village in spite of  heavy rains. We reiterated our strong opposition against the recent move by the Naveen Patnaik government to acquire our land for the proposed POSCO steel plant project.  The State government is preparing to take over 700 acres of government land that had more than 500 betel vines  and about one lakh cashew trees belonging to our villagers. In order to acquire this  700 acres of forest land adjacent to Govindpur village, the company and the government are using the technique of “trap and divide” our people. However we are determined to defeat such designs by proving that we stand united.


It was decided at the meeting that to hold similar meetings in some other villages of the area, such as Gobindpur, Patana, and Nuagaon during this week  and  to prepare for a bigger rally at Batatikira at a later date. As you may know that at Batatikira, our villagers have been continuing daily with dharna since June 2011. The villagers have promised to foil any attempt by the government to acquire land for the POSCO. Our people had barricaded in many places to prevent the entry of officials in these areas.