Why is hydropower better than fossil fuel?
Well it is a very commonly known fact that hydropower leads to less emission of various gases into the environment. The impact factor has been calculated, in the technical terminology, as the least for hydropower and the maximum for coal. So hydropower generation in India is, if we take the total energy scenario, about (with other non-thermal sources) 25% and thermal is 75%. In the case of Gujarat, the hydropower is only 6% whilst the thermal sources account for 94%, so there is a tremendous potential for developing hydropower. So why do you think that the majority of the Indian people and the government as well, are so enthusiastic about the dam project? Well, it is a question of life. It is a question of the right to life. Water is an essential ingredient for sustaining life. You have to come and see it to believe it; that millions and millions of people in the western part of India are suffering the perennial scarcity of water. There are homes where women have to walk 8 to 10 kilome
