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Messiah of hydro power
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The Managing Director of the International Network on Small Hydro Power, V.K. Damodaran, still carries the unaffected simplicity and innocence of Malabar. In a talk with Abdul Latheef Naha.
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V.K. DAMODARAN, the messiah of small hydro power, is touring the world on a mission. His goal is clear and simple: spreading small hydro power in all countries, particularly the developing nations. Hailing from Vadakara, Kozhikode - and still carrying the unaffected simplicity and innocence of Malabar despite his constant contact with the rest of the world for the past several years - Dr. Damodaran's recent visit to Kochi had some significance.
The couple of hours he spent with the members of the Institution of Engineers India (IEI) in Kochi the other day were more than enough for Dr. Damodaran to vividly send across his message. He spoke about his wonderful global experience, especially his China experience, at length. `I'm doing in China what I couldn't in India,' he said. Sure, a plain quote true enough to place us ill at ease.
But Dr. Damodaran isn't a pessimist. He is certain he can convince the Governments both at the Central and State level of the importance of exploiting the small hydro power (SHP) sector. What the country needs is a renewable hydro power policy, he said. And he is preparing a comprehensive report on the potential of small hydro power in the country, in response to a recent request made by Suresh Prabhu, the Union Power Minister.
Graduating from the University of Kerala in electrical engineering in 1962 and after being honoured with a doctoral degree later from the College of Engineers, Chennai, Dr. Damodaran served the State in many respects. Apart from heading the Science and Technology Department of the State Government, he was director of the Energy Management Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, for several years.
When the country did not listen to his ideas and arguments, China did. In a big way rather. Little wonder China now remains the only country in the world with a rural electricity grid. Dr. Damodaran's cause gains weight as one examines the role of hydro power all over the globe.
Hydro power is currently the world's largest renewable source of electricity, accounting for six per cent of worldwide energy supply or about 15 per cent of the world's electricity.
The potential size of hydro power in the world is about four times greater than that which has been exploited at this time.Currently heading the International Network on Small Hydro Power (IN-SHP), an international member-based organisation working in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and headquartered in Hangzhou, China, Dr. Damodaran coordinates and provides know-how for SHP projects.
More than half of the world's hydro power energy is in China, he says. When China produces 26,000 MW electricity from SHP, India's production is a meagre 500 MW, apart from the projected 1,000 MW, the work of which is going on.
Though the Government says the country has a potential of 15,000 MW SHP, Dr. Damodaran contests this claim, saying `our potential is much more.'
Small hydro power, the only clean source of energy available round the clock, has a huge and untapped potential in most areas of the world and can make a significant contribution to future energy needs, he says.
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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