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The 76-year-old former IIT Kanpur professor Guru Das Agarwal
decided to go on a fast-unto-death to protest against the hydel power projects being built on the upper reaches of the
Ganga. With his flowing white beard and piercing eyes, he appear like a rishi is now determined
to save the Ganga. This time he is not alone - scientists, students and religious leaders pitched in with their support and the result was that within a week of Agarwal's fast, the Uttarakhand government was forced to suspend two of its projects at
Bhaironghati as well as Pala-Maneri. However, Agarwal refuses to break his fast, till the 600 mw Loharinag-Pala project, being executed by National Thermal Power Corporation
(NTPC) is also withdrawn.
Guru Das Agarwal, the former head of department of civil and environmental engineering at IIT Kanpur is widely acknowledged as the doyen of environmental engineering professionals in the country. |
G D Agarwal a new rishi to save the Ganga |
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He was the secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board in the early 1980s, has been credited with shaping India's policies for improving environmental and pollution regulatory mechanisms. For the past few years, he has been living in Chitrakoot and teaching students at the Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya
Vishvavidyala. A bachelor, he is known to follow a spartan, Gandhian lifestyle, living in a cottage, where he cooks his own meals, wears homespun khadi and travels by bicycle.
On April 14, he wrote a letter to some associates in which he outlined how the quality, quantity and flow of the Ganga between Gangotri and Uttarkashi were being disrupted to generate hydro-electricity. "Already, long stretches of the Bhagirathi Ganga remain waterless for long periods. In the near future, this may become the state of the entire river. At least the Bhagirathi, upstream of
Uttarkashi, should be spared of any works that disturb its natural flow, ecology, purity or piety. After brooding over it for several months, I have decided to oppose such works with all the might that I have," he wrote.
Mr. Agarwal warns about the
long-term changes that would be brought about in the ganga water that will subsequently affect the aquatic and terrestrial ecology, land use and the overall environment. "Since these are subtle changes and take a long time to become visible, they are generally ignored both by project planners as well as environmental impact assessment consultants," he says.
There are specific impacts on vegetation and wildlife as well as those brought about by construction and quarrying, which would become immediately visible in the fragile mountain region, says Agarwal. "Most herbs of medicinal value are found in these pockets of sensitive vegetation. Many important fish species like ‘ hilsa’ are known to migrate to Himalayan uplands for spawning. Those pushing these projects have conveniently stated that earlier projects have already disrupted this migration. Also, no
thought has been given to wildlife, which is already under threat. Wouldn't the blasting and tunnelling in the Himalayas drive the wildlife further away from their present
hideouts? And, if wildlife cannot survive in the jungles of the Himalayas, where else can they survive?" he asks. |
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"The Ganga is no ordinary river — it is revered and
worshipped by crores of Hindus,"
says Agarwal. "It has been proved through scientific studies that
Gangajal has disease- curing, health-promoting and purifying properties at levels much beyond any other waters known. How can you apply the same criteria, the same environmental impact assessment guidelines and the
same economic planning to the Ganga as to some nondescript stream?" he says. |
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In fact, the issue of faith has drawn many religious leaders to support Agarwal — like yoga guru Swami Ramdev who recently launched the Ganga Raksha
Manch. Swami Chidanand Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan - the head of the largest ashram in Rishikesh — has been another vocal supporter. "We need to understand the consequences of obstructing the flow of the
Ganga. If this is allowed to happen, there would be nothing left of the Ganga in 25 years," he says.
But if hydel power projects are done away with, how would
growing electricity requirements be met? Uttarakhand, for instance, has a significant hydro-potential of 15,000 mw, out of which only 10% has been tapped. The way out is to adopt a middle path, says
Sarasawati. "Alternate sources of power like thermal or solar power can be explored. Besides, there are many smaller rivers in the region, which can be harnessed, without causing significant changes in their flow." |
Yoga guru Swami Ramdev who recently launched
the Ganga Raksha Manch. |
Reference: The Times of India (June 29, 2008)
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