Water crunch will be biggest hassle of the future -- Bahuguna
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, MARCH 19: India might face an acute shortage of water as glaciers of Himalayas, the origin of most great rivers, are receding fast and will soon disappear, noted environmentalist and Magsaysay award winner Sundar Lal Bahuguna has said.

"Water is going to be the biggest problem for the coming generations as water resources are overused and fast depleting and the glaciers, the origins of most great rivers, will be disappearing soon," Bahuguna told PTI

during his recent visit to capital.

On his crusade against building of the Tehri dam, the environmentalist said "dams are a temporary solution to a permanent problem, and by the time the Tehri dam will be completed there will be no water in the river to fill the reservoir."

The Tehri dam, (with 260.5 m height would be the highest dam in Asia) being constructed on the Bhagirathi - the mainstream of the Ganga - is being opposed by local people and many environmentalists.

"A dam is like a milch cow for the government which only serves narrow purposes and despite my asking for a review of technical, social, cultural and ecological aspects of the dam, nothing substantial has been done," he said.

Dams are aimed at bringing prosperity to the people but with so many people displaced from the place of origin, the Tehri dam has failed to achieve that goal, the 73-year-old Bahuguna said.

Asserting that water would become the major cause of human concern in the coming years, Bahuguna said the greatest worrying aspect is that even underground water level is depleting fast.

"Latest reports show that in Rajasthan in the last 25 years water table has gone down by 30 ft, which proves that we are recklessly using all our water resources without paying heed to the grave danger this poses," he said.

As possible solutions to this burgeoning problem, he suggested a three fold `mantra' - austerity, alternatives and afforestation.

"The main reason for loss of resources is that we don't use our resources economically and are too reckless with it, wastage should be prevented and maximum benefit should be derived from the existing means," Bahuguna said.

He also suggested use of as yet untapped alternative sources of energy such as abundant manpower, animal power, solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy, saying "non-renewable conventional energy sources continue to be exploited".

Expressing deep concern over the balding of the Himalayas, he remembered the "Chipko Movement", which was spearheaded by him in the 70s, to save the precious green cover on the youngest mountain range of the world.

Stressing that afforestation can only save the precious ecology, he said "afforestation is also a viable alternative to foodgrain production as the Green Revolution has come of age in the country and there is scarcity of arable land due to pressure of population."

"The space is only skywards now, so grow more trees which can provide cash produce and that is the way to prosperity," the environment guru said.

Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.