From: napm india <napmindia@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 2:33 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] Peoples' Movements damn the politics of 'power' and 'energy'
To: napm-india <napm-india@googlegroups.com>, initiativeindia Groups <initiative-india@googlegroups.com>, napmconveners@googlegroups.com
Cc: Madhuresh <napm.madhuresh@gmail.com>, Medha Patkar <medha.narmada@gmail.com>
A Wing First Floor, Haji Habib Building, Naigaon Cross Road
Dadar (E), Mumbai-400 014 Ph. No-2415 0529 E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com
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Press Release – National Energy Consultation, Gandhi Bhawan, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Peoples' Movements damn the politics of 'power' and 'energy'
NAPM facilitated National Energy Consultation demands serious national attention towards energy generation and use, demand and supply, alternatives and
affordable, sustainable pro-people energy perspective
August 2, Bhopal: National Consultation on Energy, organised by NAPM, demanded a comprehensive national perspective about all the sources of Energy, the actual requirement and sustainability oriented consumption pattern in planning energy security for the nation and not consider energy as electricity alone. The Integrated Energy Policy (IEP) of the Central Government falls short and misses the very chance to be anything but comprehensive.
The IEP projection of 8,00,000 MW demand by 2030 based on 8% economic growth is an exaggerated projection. This demand is calculated on the basis of GDP centered projection and instead of a need based projection. Experts opined that the 13.8% national deficit in the power can be met by bringing down the Transmission and Distribution loss, which is at 28.65%. IEP has projected a combined generation of 1,40,000 MW by 2032 from renewable sources like solar wind and bio-mass. Instead of more fossil fuel and big dam based projects, the government should tap the renewable sources to meet the energy needs, the consultation demanded.
This, along with very serious and challenging discussions on 'Energy alternatives' and 'Alternatives to Electricity' were the key issues of discussion at the two day consultation workshop organised by National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) on the 1st and 2nd of August in Bhopal. The workshop on the 'Energy Scenario and Power Projects in India : Conceptualisation and Strategy', was attended by scientists, activists, journalists, film-makers, researchers, lawyers, etc. from several states. Key organisations included National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers, Bharat Jan Vigyan Samiti, Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vritidarula Union, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Lokhit Sreejan Samiti, Bargi Bandh Vistapit Sangathan, Chutka Parmanu Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, Kisan Sangatha, Jhansi Ghat, Matu Jan Sangathan, Pennurumai Iyekkam, Greenpeace, Bank Information Center and Delhi Forum.
The Central Government, the Planning Commission and all the state agencies have been working up the Energy and Power 'paranoia' for the past several years, especially since initiation of the Globalisation process; to make sure that people surrender their everything to the vulgar and one-sided national growth. The need of the hour is sustainable development and promotion of the non-conventional and traditional sources of energy rather than the huge investment in the thermal, hydro and nuclear power projects, leading to further destruction and loss of human, environmental and natural resources. Till date a large number of families uprooted and displaced due to large number of thermal and hydro power projects remain to be rehabilitated. The question which became key in 90s regarding the 'Development paradigm' as to; for whom, how and at what price needs to be asked yet again, ie. energy for whom, how and at what cost.
Mr. Shankar Sharma, energy expert, said, "There is a need for a essential vision where more significant issues need deliberation such as how much energy needs to be produced, and at what cost to society. There is no actual deficit or gap between the quantity of power produced and required. However, India needs to stop the criminal waste of close to 40% of Transmission & Distribution losses".
J.V. Ratnam, a journalist and activist from Sompeta, Andhra Pradesh presented the film that showed police lathi-charging and firing at peacefully resisting local people who were opposing the thermal power plant – being built on a Beela (wet land) in Srikakulam District. Avdhesh Trivedi of Srijan Lokhit Samiti, Rajukumar Sinha of Bargi Bandh Visthapit Sangh and Ummaid Patel of Kisan Sagathan, Jhansi Ghat Madhya Pradesh described the situation of numerous thermal, hydro power and some nuclear plants coming up in their region. They narrated the story of a completely apathetic government that is implementing these power plants without any understanding or assessment of their impact. The massive environmental and human destruction caused in Singrauli continues to haunt the people but the government ignoring all that has planned 13 more thermal plants in the region.
Babu Rao from Andhra Pradesh, was dismayed that the health impacts of thermal power have not been assessed at all, and that burning coal in power plants leads to diseases, water contamination and other health hazards. Another important point made was that the fly ash from thermal power plants is radioactive, a piece of information that is rarely shared with the public.
Vimal Bhai of Matu Jan Sangathan presented the situation in the Himalayan states with regard to power generation and impacts on local people and their other developmental and environmental issues. Talking about run of the river projects in Uttarakhand, he explained their devastating impact on ecology and people. He emphasised that, though claimed to be ecologically harmless and categorised as clean energy, in reality the run of the river projects too destroys local life, livelihood and ecology.
Nishant, representing the National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW), explained the negative impacts of the implementation of wind energy production, especially as a part of the global game of providing CDM status to these, such as noise pollution, displacement of small farmers, requirement of high inputs and making the life of local people very difficult. The consultation deliberated upon the new technological developments with regard to wind turbines based energy production and cited new experiments with regard to avoiding sound pollution etc.
Dr. Gabriela Dietrich from Tamil Nadu pointed out that while renewable energy presents 'alternatives,' these alternatives also lie within the market economy, the same companies that invest in thermal power plants are the ones investing in renewable technology, which is problematic. The workshop condemned the criminal lack of R&D focus on alternatives by the Government.
People's Scientist, Mr. Soumya Dutta, associated with Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha pointed out that India cannot look at renewable or alternative sources of energy unless we make a commitment to reducing the consumption of energy as a whole with an understanding of the energy consumption patterns and the way capitalism has worked. He also emphasised the problems related to increasing our excessive focus on electricity.
The workshop concluded with discussions on alternatives, the requirement for comprehensive energy outlook and analysis and drastically decreasing our dependency on fossil fuel and large hydro based power, while increasing the production of solar and other such renewable resources. NAPM and associated groups vowed to take all these forward, to disseminate information, dispel myths about energy and bring to task the governments. The challenges include the lack of a political force that opposes large scale and destructive energy production, which is being driven by the strong industrial lobby, that none of the political parties want to upset. Instead, privatization of energy production and it's increasing consumption have fuelled the marginalization of adivasis, dalits, women, labour groups, and other people. At a time when 40% of India is still not electrified and yet energy production is increasing, we need to understand how much more electricity is really needed, and also be able to analyse distribution and consumption patterns better.
While the national consultation decided to step up the struggles on many fronts, it demanded that:
The governments must stop misguiding people, on the issue of energy and power. The energy demand needs to be analysed from the point of view of meeting the energy and requirements of majority of India's have-nots and not just the corporate industries or the urban greed.
Need to drastically decrease dependency on fossil fuel and large dam based power projects and need to immediately shift to solar and other renewable alternatives.
The government should put a halt on diverting water resources, including from dam reservoirs, for thermal projects.
The government should maximise efficiency of existing projects – thermal and hydro and take measures to check T&D losses on war footing and take immediate steps to mitigate the social and environmental negative impacts caused by them.
Instead of the Eminent Domain principle, which grants government the power to acquire people's lands without even a notice in some cases, communities should be given ownership over resources, without whose consent, those should not be taken away for any projects.
Rationing of urban and industrial use of power and reallocating that to meet the power needs of the hitherto un-electrified sections of the population.
It should immediately declare moratorium on new thermal, nuclear and large hydel power projects, the land acquisition for the same and engage in truthful cost & benefit analysis and audit of ongoing power production process and increase the R&D support for alternative energy production
The Consultation has decided to hold a national convention on energy soon. A Working Group is formed to plan and consolidate different action programs across the country. Audits would be held in key states and regions – Andhra Pradesh, Narmada valley, Singrauli and other places – access the social and environmental damages caused by Thermal Projects. Organisations from different parts of the country decided to organise Rasta Roko (blocking key highways or roads), burn the copy of Land Acquisition Act (1894) and similar other programmes on the Quit India day, August 9 in their respective regions.
For details, contact: Madhuresh Kumar, NAPM (9818905316) napmindia@gmail.com | Shankar Sharma (09448272503)
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Palash Biswas
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