Micro Gets Big
THOSE completely sold to the idea of big
hydel plants may not be impressed much by the news that micro hydels are gaining
popularity. But for the thousands of people who are benefitting from the spread of micro
hydel technology across Nepal’s hills, these small plants developed from the
ubiquitous ghatta (traditional water mill) that Nepalese have been using for centuries,
mean a lot. Over 1,300 micro hydropower plants dot Nepal. People have benefitted with the
newly-found hydropower as communication facilities and small industrial entrepreneurship
like agro-processing become possible. Women have more time now thanks to reduction in
their daily toil. Less number of trees are felled because part of energy needs are met by
the hydel plant. Micro hydels are still pooh-poohed by the votaries of big hydels and big
dams, the argument against it being that given Nepal’s needs, the process is too
slow, that big hydels bring energy to a large number of people quickly. What is
conveniently forgotten is that compared to big plants micro hydels are entirely operated
and maintained by the local people. The cost is relatively manageable. Comparatively much
less outside assistance is required in their installation. Once they are up and running,
local people can be trained to ensure its upkeep.
The above has been proven by the experience
of a number of organisations which are involved in promoting micro hydels in Nepal’s
hills. One of the development programmes in this field uses micro hydropower as the entry
point of development and poverty alleviation in the remote mountainous districts. A good
thing going for the micro hydropower development is that the equipment for the plant
installation like turbines, peltric sets, penstock pipes and so on are manufactured in
Nepal itself by Nepalese, thereby avoiding dependence on the foreign markets. Trainings
like a month-long training for micro hydro operators that started in Kathmandu the other
day go to increase the technical manpower that the country needs in this field.
Considering how many VDCs and districts of Nepal remain out of the developmental
mainstream for the simple reason that there is no electricity in the areas, it would not
be a bad idea for a greater number of development projects to give a thought to promote
micro-hydropower, something tested and tried with success. If more organisations chip in,
the micro hydel phenomenon can only get bigger.
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