| ashu |
Posted
on 21-Nov-01 05:39 AM
Hi all,
Let us all stop bickering and talk about desh bikas ko kura :-)
I found this quite interesting, Hope you do too.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
****************
[The following article first appeared in the fourth issue of
Jalashakti magazine. Jalashakti is the magazine of the Nepal Micro
Hydropower Development Association.
**************************************************************
Micro Hydropower in Remote Areas of Nepal
- by Kamal Jaishi, Engineer, Remote Area Development Committee
***************************************************************
Background
The Remote Area Development Committee (RADC) was
established on Magh 11, 2033 (January 1977) by a directive of the
Home Ministry. The main work of RADC has been defined as
selecting and implementing projects for the economic and social
development of places declared to be remote areas by HMG/N.
Currently it functions as part of the Ministry of Local Development
(MLD)and has its own projects and its own budget.
RADC has technical and administrative staff in all 22 Remote Area
Districts. RADC collaborates directly with the local officials
(CDO/LDO) and acts on the demand of the local bodies like District
Development Committees (DDC) which canalize the requests of
Village Development Committees (VDC).
Since its formation RADC has been involved in different activities-
mostly infrastructure building. However with the change in the
national political structure the emphasis and demand of the people
has been for programmes that have a more direct impact on
income generation and quality of life improvements. It is in
response to this demand that RADC has started its "Integrated
Rural Community Development through Village Electrification"
programme.
Why Microhydro?
The following are the reasons why RADC is involved in this sector.
1. Micro-hydro is a clean, renewable, environment friendly form of
energy and for Remote Areas virtually the only practical way to
provide electricity.
2. It provides high quality lighting which improves the living
condition of the people. It can also provides the motive power to
operate small scale industries, labor saving machines, hot water
for improved hygiene or cooking.
3. It reduces migration to urban areas by providing opportunities
and improved living conditions in the village. It provides an
incentive for government officials and other development workers
to stay in the village so that the village is served better.
4. Providing a basic infrastructure like electricity to Remote Area
villages gives villagers the awareness that the government does care
about them despite their physical remoteness. Electricity is a
basic input required to operate TV, radio and other mass
communication technologies. This will keep the villagers better
informed and increase awareness.
5. It reduces the burden of manual labor, especially of women,
by mechanizing activities like grinding, hulling, expelling oil,
saw mill etc.
7. It reduces pressure on the forests by providing alternative
means of lighting and heating. It also provides motivation for
environmental protection since catchment areas have to be
protected from deforestation to preserve the water source for
micro-hydro.
8. Micro-hydro is a means of mobilizing and organizing the
villagers for development work. The experience of working together
in building and running the MHP will be useful in implementing
other projects.
RADC and Microhydro
Micro-Hydro Power (MHP) is a relatively new activity of RADC.
RADC has learnt that MHP demands a totally different strategy to
approach the target group. The projects that RADC had been
involved in up to now were largely "static" projects like trails,
bridges drinking water schemes, irrigation canals. But with MHP it
is a "dynamic" system and needs to be kept running if it is to be
productive. MHP is also "high technology" compared to RADC's
previous projects. This means that it requires suitably trained and
skilled manpower to keep it running and to utilise it beneficially.
Currently RADC has 13 projects under construction, 10 projects
are in the tender process and a further 17 are under consideration.
To date three projects have started electricity generation.
Since 1993 RADC has invested 21.5 million Rupees and will invest
14 million Rupees in the current fiscal year (FY 2053/54).
Experience and Lessons in Implementation of MHP
When RADC started its program to implement MHP the socio-
economic aspects were not really considered. After a short time
a great number of problems showed up in different areas and RADC
began to rethink its policy. With the help of ded, RADC made an
agreement of cooperation with ITDG. For many years ITDG has
been providing assistance in the technical and socio-economic
aspects of MHP in Nepal. A consulting engineer from ITDG has
been helping to improve the technical performance of RADC. An
ITDG team carried out a social and economic evaluation of the
Nargaun MHP project in Manang and has come up with specific
recommendation (Nar Report). It is hoped that the Nar experience
and model will be applicable to other communities in their effort
to use MHP as an instrument for development. A summary of the
approach is listed below.
1. Concentrate on developing the human resources as the key
resource.
2. Improve education: The key to development is education-
appropriate education.
3. Train locals.
4. Explore the possibilities of Exploiting existing resources and
opportunities e.g. tourism, raising exotic animals and plants, herb
harvesting, oilseed production and processing, leather, potato,
seeds, etc.
5. Introduce appropriate labour saving devices. This benefit
largely goes to women as they are the ones who generally spend
a lot of time and effort in labour intensive chores like food
processing and preparation, churning butter, spinning etc.
6. Make a proper market assessment for any products that might
be made.
7. Take an integrated approach.
8. Involve technical staff more closely with the community.
9. Assess post installation activities at the beginning and not
after the hydro-plant is put in.
RADC and Human Resource Development
As mentioned before RADC is convinced that the only way to make
sure that MHP is used effectively as a tool for development is to
make sure that the human resources are made capable of utilising
the MHP. The basic philosophy of RADC with regard to Human
resource development at the community level can be summed up
thus: " The general capability of the human resource will determine
how other available resources are utilized. Therefore, of all the
resources in the village the human resource is the most important."
RADC therefore aims to put people at the center with MHP as the
tool to achieve development. RADC has come to this conclusion
from it MHP activities and also its experience of working with
CARE/Nepal in a Basic Needs programme in 4 selected districts.
These experiences have been incorporated in RADC's Integrated
Rural Community Development Program.
Selected and specially trained Village Trainers will be sent to
communities where RADC MHP plants will be installed. The
trainers start their work with the community by helping it to create
a User Committee (UC). The main task of the village trainer will be
to motivate the villagers through the UC to participate in their
project, helping them to mobilize their own efforts to handle their
future in order to make significant changes in their own living
conditions.
The strategy for this program is based upon the collaboration
between several organizations. The village trainers complement
RADC field staff by working directly with the respective
communities over a sustained period by helping them organize an
effective User Committee(UC), liaise with the local government
officials and train village people in maintenance and operation of
their MHP. The Village Trainers help to evaluate and establish post-
installation activities, such as micro-enterprises and other income
generating activities, establishing small local industries to exploit
local markets and resources. Important areas of work for the trainer
are the improvement of the labour situation of women, literacy and
other necessary measures which may be necessary in order to
enable the community to make full use of their resources.
Taking advantage of RADC's network of MHP sites, the German
Development Service (ded) continues to provide the technical
assistance of engineers and development workers in developing
RADC's own human resources in order that they may provide a
better service to the people of Remote Areas.
RADC hopes that this mode of approaching community
development will be copied by local bodies such as DDCs in their
approach to community development.
The resources which are at the moment available to RADC is
insufficient to serve all the communities where RADC has installed
or is planning to install MHPs. Therefore RADC is looking for new
partners to strengthen and expand the Integrated Rural Community
Development Program.
RADC and NGOs
It is clear that RADC is not in a position to do all the things
necessary to enable remote communities to successfully use MHP
as a tool for development. It has therefore adopted a strategy of
concentrating on providing the "hardware" while NGOs and
grassroots organisations provide the "software".
This strategy was worked out by RADC with the help of a
development worker from the German Development Service, Mr.
Alfred Kusel-Finck and a microhydro consultant, Mr. Girish
Kharel. As part of the strategy an agreement was made with the
Intermediate Technology Development Group(ITDG) to provide
support to improve the technical services of RADC and also
to help in developing a plan for the "software" aspects of MHP.
As part of this agreement ITDG has made a detailed assessment
of the Nar MHP and made recommendations on the approach that
RADC should take. It is also working with United Nations
Volunteers (UNV) on a training package for future village
trainers. It is envisaged that these village trainers will
work closely with the community to help them with the social
and economic aspects of their MHP.
RADC hopes to expand its collaboration with NGOs so that more
communities are served. RADC does not have the money,
manpower or organisational structure to carry out the "software"
aspects effectively. By working together and pooling the
resources and skills of Government and non government
organisations the communities of the Remote Areas will get a
better service. THE END
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| GP |
Posted
on 22-Nov-01 02:53 AM
I was surprised to see peoples rushing to get license
to have Micro Hydropower stations. Today, its getting
hot cake business. They said, a friend of mine at NEA,
said they have predefined pricing for wet and dry seasons.
You just make Micro Hydro and connect to NEA grid,
money starts trickling in your account, and you will have
better life in Nepal. I was told "Brainwashed" like that.
GP
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