Hydro Electric Power Industry: A must for Manipur
- Part 2 -

N Shyamsundar Singh *

Staffs of Power Dept installing pre-paid power meters :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

Renewable Energy – An ultimate option:

Thus, the fast depletion of the known reserve of fossil fuels and natural gas on one hand and the need for reduction of carbon emission to combat climate change on the other, have urged the Scientists, Engineers and Technologists of the country to evolve a new paradigm of the energy generation strategy. The new trend has its aim at the development of Renewable Energy (RE) Technologies for generation of electricity at a large scale. The decision makers and planners of the country are also aware of the challenges ahead that pose a real threat to the energy security of future generations. .

Many a number of Renewable Energy sources have been identified and harnessed by several authorities across the globe using a range of ever evolving technologies with a view to harvesting commercially the clean energy available in it. .

Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun and it tops the list of highly appealing source of electricity. The International Energy Agency (IEA) asserted that the development of clean solar energy technologies shall have huge longer-term benefits. Solar Energy shall ensure energy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource and at the same time, it also enhances sustainability, reduces pollution and arrests environmental degradation. .

However, the solar energy potential in the NE Region is relatively less due to clouds and length of the day. Precisely, Manipur has a total of about 122 sunshine days in a year. Therefore, it is not advisable to go for bigger solar units than 1 or 2 KW unit. With this kind of system, the state may not be able to manage and meet the rapidly growing power requirements of its domestic, industrial and other bulk consumers.

Wind power is the use of air flow through wind turbines which act as the prime mover of the turbine generator set, for generation of electricity. Wind Energy is also not a suitable choice for Manipur as both the speed and density of wind are not adequate & dependable enough for large scale generation. The other RE sources namely Biomass, Biogas, Biofuel and Geothermal may not produce considerable quantum of power at affordable cost in Manipur. Tidal power is developed at the coastal areas only.

Notably, Hydro Electric Power potential is also a renewable energy source. As already mentioned somewhere, nature has gifted the state with huge hydro power potential of more than 2000MW in its lake and hilly rivers. The natural resource can be harnessed at environmentally & techno-economically feasible locations for large scale generation of clean electrical energy under a long term plan. This kind of development shall enable the state to get itself exempted from Renewable Energy Purchase Obligation (RPO).

Development Experience: The Central Water & Power Commission (CWPC), which was bifurcated later into the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), carried out the Detailed Survey & Investigation (DSI) of Loktak Hydro Electric (Multipurpose) Project in the State in early sixties and prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the project. Few officials from the lone State Engineering Department were also taken on deputation and engaged in the DSI.

The practice normally followed in those days, permitted the project authority to concentrate more on the hydrology and other technical details including design of components of the proposed project. The subsidiary reports namely the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) which form an integral part of DPR to-day, were not given equal importance as that of the technical report. Rather the report was a concept base and it primarily aimed at successful delivery of the basic need to the needy for achieving the goal of enlightening and developing the society.

In those days, there was only one Deputy Commissioner (DC) for the entire valley of the state. The land records were maintained by the DCs office at Imphal. The population density in the villages surrounding Loktak Lake was comparatively low and the land use pattern was totally different from what has been practicing these days. The orthodox residents in those villages might have used the Khas land located near the lake as grazing ground or paddy field and enjoyed the natural produces from it.

They never claimed through the concerned authority that they were the owners of the land they cultivated. Nor did the district revenue authority who are well aware of the project being constructed in and around the lake, raised the issue for incorporation in the DPR. The DPR was finalized and submitted for accord of techno economic clearance in 1969.

Perhaps, people of Manipur have almost forgotten that environment is a part of our life. This is substantiated by the fact that everywhere in Manipur, the forest, so also the environment, has already degraded, as a result of man made mistakes like mass deforestation, extensive earthwork and undeterred encroachment; whatever available is either degraded or critically degraded. .

The Environment in Manipur is like a chemical compound comprising of several ingredients that undergo unfavorable changes through physical and chemical processes over period of time. For instance, large scale deforestation, distortion in the air and water cycles, unchecked flow of pollutants including untreated sewage industrial effluents, pesticides and domestic garbage cause all forms of harm and damage to the environment and ultimately affect the lives of all living beings in various ways.

The case of Loktak lake is no exception. Rather, it has two more very serious issues namely heavy deposition of silt in the lake and weed infestation that have put salt to the wound. Therefore, extensive studies, analyses and on the spot verification would be needed to ascertain the reasons attributing to the deterioration of the environment and the loss of ecosystem values of the precious lake so that renewed efforts are made collectively to mitigate, restore and retain the lake within a shortest possible time.

In 1986, Loktak Development authority (LDA) was constituted by the Government of Manipur and assigned with the task of overall management of Loktak Lake. The vision of LDA has its focus on conservation and utilization of wetlands sustainably for ecological security and livelihood improvement of local communities. The mission is also accordingly formulated keeping in view the treatment strategy for each ailment.

The LDA which was given more teeth in 2006 when the Manipur Loktak lake (Protection) Act 2006 was passed and notified, has grown to a well equipped professional lake management organization that can affectively deal with the increasing multidisciplinary challenges of lake conservation and management. Besides Loktak Development Authority, many more state Government Departments namely, PHED, Forests Department, Horticulture & Soil Conservation Department, Fisheries Department, Veterinary & AH Department, Agriculture Department, Sericulture Department, Environment & Ecology Department and District administration also were engaged formally to render relentless service to achieve the common goal.

The activity components were identified and made known to each of implementing agencies/ line Department. As it is given to understand, over the last few decades, none of the authorities or stakeholders has taken initiatives to physically survey and demarcate the boundary of the lake even though these basic data are of prime importance from protection maintenance and management points of view.

How can one start planning and formulating programmes for translating the assignment into reality without knowing the volume of work to be done? Or it is not done deliberately?. Otherwise, technology is readily available now to carry out the contour survey and measure the areas at different levels. .

to be continued.....