Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA : 2.8 Power and Energy :

Opinion
       03/12/2018
                1584.

Sub : Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA : 2.8 Power and Energy :

Environmentalist Dr. Madhav Gadgil

Ref : 2.8 Power and Energy :

The many power projects— hydro, thermal, nuclear, wind — in the states of the Western Ghats was one key recurring theme before WGEEP. Many stakeholders argued that these projects were harming the ecosystems of the Western Ghats, and questioned whether there really was a need for so many power projects in such an ecologically sensitive area.4 Many more, especially thermal power projects, are on the anvil and it is unclear if all of these are needed, and sustainable, given their resource requirements and potential environmental and social impacts (Dharmadhikary and Dixit, 2011).

To get a sense of the energy context, we have looked at some of the power and energy statistics in the Western Ghats States. The data suggest that the per capita power consumption varies widely in the states, from Goa being 3.5 times the national average to Kerala being just 2/3 of it. The proportion of villages that have been electrified is high relative to the rest of India, but the range of rural households without access to electricity ranges from 8% in Goa to 35% in Maharashtra. Industry in these states comprises both large and small sectors, and is the largest consumer of energy. The large-scale industry comprises ore processing, iron and steel, cement, petroleum refineries, sugar, distilleries, fertilizers and petrochemicals, all of which are large energy consumers. There also is a large small- and medium-sector that contributes to industrial value and provide a large source of employment. An important segment of this sector is energy-intensive comprising sectors such as foundries, brick kilns, textile processing, ceramics, pottery, glassware, and bakery.

In terms of power supply, the states show a mix. Gujarat and Maharashtra have a high peak supply deficit, twice the national average; Maharashtra also has a high energy shortage. But Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are better placed in terms of supply deficits relative to other Western Ghat states and also the national average. Power supply can be locally sourced and produced or can be obtained from other states, but a failure to plan for needs can result in a mushrooming of diesel-fired back up sets which can have serious local environmental problems. Transmission and distribution (T and D) losses are also still high suggesting the need for urgent action on this front.
Energy for cooking and lighting in households

Figure 10 below presents the state-wise usage of LPG (Map 1) and kerosene (Map 2) as primary cooking fuels, and electricity (Map 3) and kerosene (Map 4) used in lighting among 1000 rural households in various states in 2007–08. It is evident that except for Goa, where 41% of rural households use LPG, usage of LPG for cooking is low and people are still dependent on firewood for their cooking needs in rural areas. Kerala reveals a higher proportion of rural households using LPG for cooking as compared to neighbouring Karnataka where households are more dependent on firewood. In urban households in Goa and Maharashtra, over 80% and 70% of households respectively use LPG for cooking.

In case of lighting, more households use electricity than kerosene in the Western Ghat states as compared to the rest of the country.

*4 Brainstorming session on the role of the Power Sector in the development of the Western Ghats states, IISc, Bengaluru on 18.11.2010;

A number of thermal power sector projects are planned in the state of Maharashtra in the period ending 2012. Hydro power projects are also planned in Karnataka and Kerala. Two of the more controversial ones, Gundia in Karnataka and Athirappilly in Kerala are discussed in detail in Part I of the report. Papers on these topics are also available on the WGEEP

The many planned projects are creating concerns in various districts. In Raigad and Ratnagiri, for example, Prayas notes that 33000 MW of thermal power projects are in the
pipeline for environmental clearances. Many of these power projects will have serious environmental and social impacts. Given that they are planned to be set up in clusters, there
are also cumulative impacts that need to be considered (Dharmadhikary and Dixit, 2011).

The 2010 tour report to Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg districts by the Chairman, WGEEP, has the following comment which reflects the concern that while local regions have to put up with the negative externalities of power plant development, the benefits go to very different sets of people :

"The current energy requirements of these districts are 180 megawatts a year, while the current production is 4,543 Megawatts (Koyna 2000 MW, RGPCL 2200 MW, Finolex 43 MW, JSW 300 MW and remaining 900 MW proposed within 2-3 Months) a year. So these districts are more than meeting their own requirements and contributing to the national pool."

Further, ‚If Mumbai has huge requirements, one may reasonably propose that a giant coal based power plant be located on the Malabar Hill, which offers a topographical situation identical to the current site of Jindal plant. Such location will have the further huge advantage that the power will not have to be transmitted over huge distances, greatly reducing transmission losses, and the huge losses of horticultural production under power lines in the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg districts.‛(p 6)

Issues of Concern :

The development-environment trade-off has its strongest manifestation in the energy and power sector. The dependence on fossil fuels in this sector has implications for the global and local environment. As people of this country become part of a global community, as more people move into the middle income classes, material aspirations tend to rise. We see in India, the increased aspirations of a people moving up the income ladder and demanding the trappings of a ‚modern‛ life which creates a whole set of new energy consumers, new political pressures, increased demand for mobility, all of which result in an increased demand for energy and fuels. Along with this growth-driven demand for energy, there is a large proportion of people who have no or little access to electricity for lighting and are still dependent on the use of ‚dirty‛ fuels for cooking and lighting that are detrimental to their health and well being. So we are faced with three key aspects of the dilemma – how do we meet energy for growth, and address energy poverty while also protecting the environment?

Considerable concern is expressed about the environmental and social impacts of existing and proposed power infrastructure.5 Construction and maintenance of energy facilities in sensitive zones of the Western Ghats, it is argued, can affect ecosystem structure through clearing of vegetation, and habitat loss or fragmentation. This can affect not only the fauna and flora but also the microclimate in the region. The major impact that power plants have had and continue to have is loss of forest cover, where forest has been cleared for a dam.

Compensatory afforestation as a measure required under the law exists but does not restore the richness and the complexity of the biodiversity lost when original forests are cleared. Other impacts include degradation of vegetation due to thermal emissions or pollution of water bodies due to release of effluents. The effects of thermal power plants on the environment are mainly due to temperature rise of water and fly ash. Temperature also exerts direct influence on toxicity. Higher temperatures of water would lead to greater dissolution of chemicals and other pollutants such as grease leading to greater environmental damage. Apart from the rise in temperature, discharged waters are also altered chemically during the cooling processes. The water contains chlorine and other BOD material, which affects aquatic life adversely.

*5 Brainstorming session on the role of the Power Sector in the development of the Western Ghats states, IISc, Bengaluru on 18.11.2010; WGEEP analysis

Fly ash is known to contain heavy metals such as Zn (6%), Ba (12.2%), Cu (1.3%), As (0.02%), V (0.08%), Ti (0.02%) and Mn (0.23%). Particles of fly ash also contain toxic elements such as lead and mercury (Sankarapandi, 1994, Prayas, 2011). Reproduction of fish is affected due to deposition of fly ash in the marginal areas of the river, which act as their breeding grounds. Fly ash covers extensive areas of the bottom, blanketing off the substratum, resulting in retardation or total elimination of benthic communities. Thick deposits of fly ash at the bottom make the nutrients unavailable to the aquatic community and thereby affect productivity.

It was pointed out at our stakeholder meetings that cumulative impacts studies are needed for the proposed merchant power plants in the Konkan region, and improved EIA practices. Many concerns were expressed on the overdevelopment of river basins of the Western Ghats for hydropower or water projects. There were suggestions that the origin of rivers be declared as ‚no go‛ areas to protect the rivers and that no new dams be allowed in over-developed basins. The need to maintain the environmental flows of rivers was also highlighted.6 Above all, it was highlighted that the cumulative impacts on the ecosystems of the Western Ghats of all the projects that exist and are proposed for the states have not been assessed.

Given the sensitivity of the Western Ghats, many have suggested that it is important to find ways in which energy needs can be met through more efficient energy use and less degrading, less polluting, intrusive energy sources. Renewable energy is indeed being actively encouraged in many states given the more global concerns with fossil fuel based energy. The need for land and water for solar power and the local social impacts this can have was also highlighted. Another insufficiently studied impact, but often cited in our stakeholder meetings, is from transmission lines as these can also cause linear intrusions or linear fragmentations of habitats. In case of renewable energy projects, it was suggested that decentralized off-grid generation be promoted in the more ecologically sensitive areas to avoid the need for long transmission lines.

However, there is need for a greater understanding of the impacts of the development of these renewable energy sources on the local environment. For example, large scale wind energy farms do have significant effects on local ecosystems (NRC, 2007). There are many commercial proposals to erect wind mills in the Western Ghats and several have also been completed. Unfortunately, the areas deemed suitable for windmills, i.e. where there may be continuous high velocity winds are also the crest lines of the Western Ghat mountains which have the steepest slopes, the most fragile ecosystems, and are also accessed via equally biodiverse lateritic plateaus which harbour some of the most unique biodiversity elements in the Ghats. Hauling construction cranes (of the size used for building skyscrapers in cities) required to erect the huge wind masts as well as hauling the wind masts themselves to these crests of the mountains also requires the construction of roads in these remote areas which in turn necessitates the large-scale destruction of forests, habitats and soils, including leading to landslides and massive soil erosion in these high rainfall areas. A WGEEP study (by Madhav Gadgil and Renee Borges) of one such windmill project completed by ENERCON just 2 km from the boundary of the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra highlighted the grave destruction of the pristine environment in the area by this supposedly ‚green technology‛. (see reference to this project also in Part I of the WGEEP Report). The ‚zone of influence‛ of this project therefore was much larger than the length of the roads, or the area covered by each windmill mast and associated structures which was projected by the company as the area under the project. This study therefore clearly highlighted the urgent need for supposedly green technologies such as windmills to also undergo a comprehensive cumulative impact assessment before their clearance, as currently such technologies being considered ‚green‛ are exempt from requiring an EIA. It is recommended that a moratorium be placed on all wind energy farm proposals until comprehensive EIA studies are conducted. In any case, WGEEP has also recommended that no windmills be allowed in ESZ1.

*6 A Latha, Bengaluru meeting.

Measures for Mitigation/Improvement :

Several measures can be recommended as responses to the policy dilemma posed in the opening paragraph. These can be grouped under: demand side management, increased clean energy supply, clean fossil fuel technologies in production and use, and improved environmental governance around the power sector

With regard to energy demand :

 The need to revisit the concept of energy equity in the Indian context, wherein some groups of people in the Western Ghats (and other) states are over-consuming energy, while others are energy poor. In the context not just of global concerns, but local environmental and social issues linked to energy production and use, there is need for an energy policy that clearly reflects sustainability and equity considerations. There is need to differentiate between ‚luxury and wasteful‛ and ‚reasonable and adequate‛ energy consumption in all of our energy demand projections. The equitable per capita energy consumption norms that are being demanded in the climate change debate across countries should also be studied for their relevance across regions and groups domestically.

 Much more emphasis is needed on assessing state potential to undertake energy efficiency measures in various sectors to reduce demand projections The role of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE )was emphasized here. Need to include estimates of energy efficiency potential in energy demand forecasts, so that demand figures are reasonable, not portrayed as gigantic as this creates pressure for increased energy supplies which can have adverse environmental impacts

 Educating the energy consumer about the environmental and social impacts of energy production and the need for reducing ‚luxury‛ demand

 There is need also to launch ‚smart‛ campaigns as key components of demand side management, focusing on smart grids, smart buildings, smart power, smart logistics and smart motors

With regard to energy supply :

 Encourage the use of clean energy – renewable energy projects and energy efficiency; wherever possible, small renewable projects to be encouraged

 Micro and mini hydel projects in ecosensitive areas in the Ghats should be designed more to meet local power demand and not to feed to the grids as power lines are needed to evacuate power from these plants

 The importance of allowing for the intermittent nature of some renewable energy sources and ensuring backup storage facilities

 Use of Smart grids

o To enhance communication and computing capability to improve flexibility of energy infrastructure
o To enable better monitoring of electricity flows across the grid and improved preventive maintenance
o Reduction in T&D losses

 Encourage states to adopt regulatory policies of open access to have more efficient and reliable electricity supply and reduce the need of using polluting diesel-fired back up units in industry.

 Upscaling interesting energy innovations: For example, a model micro-hydro community system in Pathanpara Kerala, where according to reports financing for the project was secured from the village through cash or kind. The models used by SELCO to provide solar energy in unelectrified villages or the LABL model for solar lighting need a careful assessments of the lessons they offer.

 Introducing benefit sharing arrangements when land is acquired: For example, a recent report that the Kerala government had mooted a business model for an 80 MW wind power plant with tribals of Palakkad. This will be a partnership between NTPC, KSEB and the tribal people of Palakkad. The commercial agreement will involve a fixed amount of money per unit of power generated on tribal land (FE 22 June).

With regard to environmental clearances :

 Need for a complete overhaul of environmental clearance procedures of power plants.

 EIA procedures should take into account carrying capacity of region and also require cumulative impact studies when power plants are planned to be in clusters.

 As of now EIA guidelines in India do not include renewable energy projects. This should be corrected as it is increasingly well established that they do have several impacts especially wind farms. For example, UNEP has prepared guidelines for environmental due diligence of such projects which could be examined. Wind mill projects should be required to have a cumulative impact assessment before clearance is accorded.

 Need for greater environmental and social impacts studies and anticipatory planning for renewable energy projects as these are poised to take off.

 Need for greater care in clearing thermal power projects by the MOEF in the Western Ghat region

 Strict adherence to environmental clearance conditions when projects are sanctioned

 Social and environmental audits to ensure such conditions are met

 Good practices to be followed at all life cycle stages – pre siting, construction, development, operation and closure

 CAMPA funds should be used to promote green jobs in the states where these funds have been collected.

Actionable Point : A special cell within WGEA to deal with power and energy sector-related issues

NEXT  : 2.9 Tourism :

To be continued ...

OPINION :

1. THE TWO FRONTS OF KERALA POLITICS THE UDF - LDF AND ITS LEADING POLITICAL DENOMINATIONS CONGRESS AND COMMUNISTS ARE  IGNORANT, NOT EFFICIENT, DISHONEST, LAZY BUGGERS, NOT PREPARED TO STUDY THE HIGHLY VALUED GADGIL REPORT AND DISCUSS WITH MADHAV GADGIL THE OUTSTANDING KNOWLEDGE TREASURE, TAKE HIS GUIDANCE IN IMPLEMENTING THE REPORT;

2. THE ALLIANCE PARTNERS OF THE TWO FRONTS ARE MERE FOOLS, ASSOCIATION WITH THE MAJOR PARTNER CONGRESS AND COMMUNISTS FOR PIECES OF BONES THROWN TO THEM, THESE BUGGERS CHEW THE BONES AND OTHER SUNDRY GAINS, PASS THE TIME, TO THE NEXT ELECTIONS;

3. INTERMITTENT FAVOURITE GAME, OF THESE TWO FRONTS ARE ABUSING PM MODI JI AND BJP, PROGRAMMING  AGITATIONS AGAINST THE CENTRE, FOOLING THE PUBLIC;

4. NEXT IS ABUSING HINDUS, DIVIDE THEM IN CASTE BRACKETS, ALLOW CLASH AMONG THEM, ENJOY THE BLEEDING IN HINDU COMMUNITY  SITTING ON THE FENCE AS VULTURES;

5. THE STUPID VELLAPULLY AND SUKUMARAN NAIR LIKES ARE THE MAJOR CURSES FOR EZHAVA AND NAIR  COMMUNITIES, ANOTHER PART IS SNDP HIJACKED PIECE OF CAKE USED AS POLITICAL TOOL BY EZHAVAS AS THE NAIRS SERVICE SOCIETY;

LAST WORD :

1. WESTERN GHATS IS IN GREAT DANGER OF DESTRUCTION, IF NOT PROTECTED, PRESERVED HONESTLY, THE WHOLE KERALA WILL SUFFER, BY SLIDING OF HILLS, FLOODS, LOW RAIN FALL, SCARCITY OF WATER, DESTRUCTION OF SPECIES IN PLANT AND ANIMAL KINGDOMS, AT THE END STATE ITSELF DISAPPEAR;

2. THE PAITHRUKAM OF KERALA LOSSING, WHEN SABARIMALA IS IN THE CENTRE STAGE OF CORRUPTION, INVOLVING DEVASWOM AND GOVERNMENT, THE TEMPLE COLLECTIONS ARE BEING WASTED WITH END RESULT A PURE NON-SENSE, CONTROVERSIES STIMULATED BY MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, CONGRESS AND COMMUNISTS, QUESTION THE EXISTENCE OF SABARIMALA IN FUTURE, IF NOT CONTROLLED NOW AND PUT AN END;

3. THE TRUTH THE PEOPLE MUST AWAKE, AND RELIEVE THEMSELVES FROM POLITICAL CONNECTIONS, PARTICIPATE AND  CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOLY LAND KERALA, WITHOUT ANY BIAS OF RELIGION, CASTE OR CREED.

REMEMBER THIS :

1. PUNJAB FLOURISHED IN AGRICULTURE BECAUSE OF GREEN REVOLUTION LEAD BY Dr. MS. SWAMINATHAN;

2. GUJARAT FLOURISHED WITH MILK BECAUSE OF WHITE ( FLOOD ) REVOLUTION LEAD BY Dr. VERGHESE KURIEN;

3.  KASHMIR LOST THE PARADISE STATUS BECAUSE KASHMIRI MUSLIM PEOPLE WHO PATRONISE TERRORISM, THOUGH FEW GOOD PEOPLE MAY BE THERE;

4. NOW IT IS THE TURN OF KERALA AND ITS DIRTY POLITICS, LAND OF PARASURAM AND GREAT ACHARYA OF ADVAITHAM, SWAMI SRI ADI SANKARACHARYA   INTO A DESERT SOON.

JAIHIND
VANDE MATARAM