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Journalism of Courage
When Gon Chaudhury took charge as director, West Bengal Renewal Energy Development Authority, he saw a UN report from the Seventies identifying areas in India where tidal energy could be harnessed for electricity.
One of the places listed was the Sundarbans delta. He immediately commissioned a pre-feasibility study, and a detailed project report was readied in 2001.
Last week, the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests cleared the 3.6 MW project, slated to come up in the Durgaduani creek. Some tough questions needed to be answered by the expert committee before the project was cleared because the Sundarbans are a World Heritage Site and the project would violate Coastal Regulation Zone norms.
After the clearance, the Central government has given an in-principle agreement to providing a 90 per cent grant for the Rs 40 crore project. The rest will be borne by the state government. Discussions are at an advanced stage on the disbursement of the finances.
The Durgaduani creek is between the rivers Bidya and Gomdi Khal. It’s about 8.5 km long and has an average width of 145 metres. Tidal water will be stored and then let out to generate electricity using four turbines. There will be two gates at either end at Gosaba and Sonagaon to form a low head. The project will take three years.
Once implemented, the Durgaduani project will feed four islands in the Sundarbans area — Gosaba, Basanti, Arampur and Katakhall. These areas are not electrified through conventional sources. There only source of power is diesel generating sets.
‘‘The aim is tzo establish the viability of tidal power schemes, be sides improving the quality of life in these area,’’ said Chaudhury. “There’ll be zero emission or displacement of people.”
The apprehension is that the gates will disturb marine life by disturbing their movement. The project has a provision for a wicket gate that will allow the fish and boats to ply as normal.
To deal with siltation, the region will be dredged every 15 years.
‘‘The benefits far outweigh these concerns,’’ says Chaudhury.
Gosaba is the last inhabited place in Sunderbans. Locals will benefit with the road and the bridge that will be constructed.
Not just India, but the entire world will be watching on the progress of this project. So far, there is only one major project in France of 266MW at Le Rance. US has one at Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia and Russia has one on the White sea. China is building two projects. UK is exploring a massive one.
There are few in the world because of high capital costs. The other place in India which has a huge potential of 7,000 MW is Gujarat’s Gulf of Cambay and Kutch. A project had been proposed in the 90s but was shelved because of the high capital costs.
After the project is set up, it will cost the same as thermal power — Rs 3.5 per unit of electricity. Some money will be spent in connecting it to the grid and supplying it to these villages.
Renewable energy in India is something to cheer about — the country has already exceeded the 10th plan target of 3075 MW. The aim now is to obtain 10 per cent of grid power through renewable sources by 2012. Efforts like these will only add to this figure.
