Top News
US scientist questions green nod to Indian hydel projects
Kolkata: A top American researcher has questioned the scientific accuracy of environmental impact assessment reports for India’s hydropower projects, criticising the process behind environmental clearances as being “manipulative”.
Kelly D. Alley, a professor of anthropology, Auburn University, U.S. has carried out research in northern India for over twenty years, focusing on public culture and environmental issues.
“I took two sets of hydropower cases that are important projects -the Subansiri and Dibang projects in north east India.
“My paper questions the EIA and the processes… how those (environmental) clearances are obtained. Basically the clearance process is corrupt in terms of rent-seeking. I wanted to highlight the clearance processes are manipulated so that in this dangerous situation we should do a better job,” Alley told here, after the study was released.
Alley is the author of books such as ‘On the Banks of the Ganga: When Wastewater Meets a Sacred River’ that explores Hindu interpretations of the sacred river Ganga in the light of environmental problems.
Some of her other notable publications include ‘Water Wealth and Energy in the Indian Himalayas’ and ‘The Developments, Policies and Assessments of Hydropower in the Ganga River Basin’ among others, a result of her work in the Brahmaputra basin and in Varanasi.
She was in the city as part of a delegation for the two-day ‘Building Pan Asian Connectivity’ conference. Alley released her paper titled ‘Challenges for hydropower governance in Brahmaputra basin: Informality, Documentality and Citizen Mandamus’ which will be part of a book and will be put in the public domain soon.
“I have shown some of the issues involved in clearing the projects such as forest, environmental clearances and the processes… the steps that a company would have to go through to get it approved and cleared for construction.
“It’s not a completely scientific process and many people have questioned the quality of environmental impact assessments (EIA),” she said on Wednesday.
Citing the example of the devastating 2014 Uttarakhand floods and glacial lake outburst in Kedarnath, Alley said the way ahead is to incorporate scientific methods to plan sites of dams.
“When you have so much rain and have it mixed with this glacial melt, it just puts a lot of pressure on the dam and you have rocks and boulders getting shoved down the river bed… it’s going to ruin the dam and create blockages,” she explained.
To counter the potential hazards, the researcher stressed that ‘lot of good science and clean science (not politically motivated) has to go into figuring out how to site dams properly and what are the best locations ecologically, in terms of water cycle for people etc.”
“It all comes back to the regulatory process,” she pointed out.
The other aspect, according to Alley, is to focus on climate-friendly infrastructure.
“You have the condition of more extreme floods happening. So you have to make sure that whatever infrastructure you built, it can somehow adapt to those conditions and you need some good science, engineers who are thinking about infrastructure adaptable to climate change etc.,” she added.
Top News
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
