We are not on Dead Bed!!!

I confess that i am not in a position to defend and also it won't be  justifiable and fair to do it  by somebody like me who has a very limited experience. Anyhow, i am with this enormous zeal to throw out some perceptions and my understanding of our Hydro-power Economy. 

Reading through some blogs, articles, facebook statuses, and media news,  I am made to understand that Hydropower is on the dead bed or marching towards the dead bed inflicted by the disease of investing in Hydropower. I don't know if you also feel the same. Dear friends, if you are also worried about the stress injected by these scary expressions of some individuals, we should really believe that these people are representation of only a portion of views. Yet, we are safe to assume that, they are a people who holds the pin to prick the inflated balloon just on the pretext of not letting it blow further.

Understand me, i am not trying to defend hydro-power. History and data tells us that hydropower has been the cream of our economy driving all sectors of the industries growth. It is this hydropower electricity that the legs we have, has to wear a golden hush puppie branded shoes unlike before 1970s where bata slipper would come as a huge blow to the family expenditure. It is this hydropower, the existence of many industries across the southern belt stands still tall. It is this hydropower, why we don't buy ambuja cement. It is this hydropower why TMT rods are available just in our doorstep. It is this hydropower, our civil servants enjoy pay hikes and pay revisions, tours to 3rd countries, signing in with dollar expenditures. That is why-hydropower is universally called a golden egg for bhutan. Our nation is a mother to this golden egg. To let her lay the golden egg or not, it is on the hands of all of us, the proprietor of the golden mom, as per our constitution-we are to safeguard the resources of our nation. 

Come and talk to some of the senior most citizens who has worked since Chhukha Project and some who have already been superannuated. A senior foreman, who is at-least the age of my father told me his salary started with Nu. 200 a month. He also iterated that, never could he imagine that his basic salary would be near to thousands of three decades-30,000/- in his life. He expressed that, all of these happened within few decades because of hydro-power. Our economy grew by heaps and bounds just because of Hydro-power revenue. Lets gratify it, and not term as a disease which will kill us. 

Now, the environment experts, investment experts and many other experts who are against the HE projects has raised their voices. While i also agree some of their views, i convict myself that i don't find any of the situation happening now as detrimental as expressed by some of them. It won't and shall never be a doomsday for Bhutan. We all must agree that, hydro-power technically has the tremendous long term advantage. Any one of you can initiate to calculate-the long term advantage.

Rather than counting fishes and birds, some of our environmental friends needs to go through the technical prospects of our breeding bull. Why should we worry even if Indian Power Exchange has a surplus power? Lets know very truth of the power grid. India has embarked to their big mission of renewable energy. How far will you trust the solar and wind power to be stable in the grid? When you can't even trust the melting glaciers which are indeed more trust worthy than the transient weather conditions which freaks within a minute, I don't agree you would trust solar and wind powers. We must know, we are required to maintain a grid stability. Hydropower also have this upper hand of stabilizing in the grid within a very short time. Imagine the vast Indian grid, our hydro power shall play a major role to balance the grid of Indian Power exchange. Thermal Power is sourced by fossil fuel and you all better know how much the pollution is on the air. And one interesting thing about thermal power is, if you are not aware, it takes a lot of time to initiate itself leave aside getting into grid and stabilizing. 

Expertise views are not defend-able and I don't want to defend too. One thing what is sure at this juncture is, we are not marching towards being the Greece of Asia. It will never ever threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Political advantage and strategic importance of our nation shall prove its functions. If there is  a trade which would substitute hydropower in every dimensions, its time the nation should be made known. Environmental enthusiast must visit the established Power Plants. You will hardly find disasters. Monkeys are thriving right in front of Power House Entrances. You can face difficulty in locating the tunnels. It is so green. Hydro Electric Power Projects have been and are always in line with saving environment, going green and becoming pollution free society. That is why it  is adding to a carbon credit to our already abundant forests where water sources are being fed continuously for years.


It is just this one issue that we need to resolve, how fast the golden goose should lay the golden eggs. It is to the politicians and bureaucrats who should really think into it and brainstorm, the pace in which we must implement our HE projects. That is why may be the government has resolved to go slow mode and find out the very concrete result through forming a formidable committee consisting of experts.

As of now, let us not level the investment to Hydropower as the endemic kind of disease that may kill us and our nation. That shall never happen and shall never be dreamed of happening.  Let us be also informed that, the world shall fight not for minerals or fuels but for water. If not today, when shall we use this, after the glaciers been melted and flown into oceans?

Let us believe it, the scenario is not sick as it is mentioned in some articles and news. We are safe!!!