10-30-2005, 08:40 PM
At present for India the best option is to make maximum possible utilization of the energy available from its own sources. It is true that nature has not given enough petroleum reserve to our country and consequently, we have to depend upon imported crude for keeping the nationâs wheels moving.
Coal is the only source of fossil energy that is available to us in plenty. SO far we have been using coal for cooking and power generation in thermal power stations. We have stopped using coal in the railways a few years back. In cooking also to reduce pollution, particularly in the urban areas, we have switched over to LPG from coal. Now according to the present thinking of the experts, the use of coal should in fact be reduced to prevent the w3warming up of the earth. This has given us the idea of increasing our dependency on natural gas as a medium of energy. Unfortunately, this would require the importation of large quantity of natural gas from other countries.
This quest for natural gas has now given us the idea of importing natural gas by pipeline from, Iran, Turkmenistan and, Bangladesh and of late Myanmar. All these ideas are still in the planning and negotiation stages. Let us examine these grand projects and their desirability as a reliable source of energy for running the vital installations of our national economy.
Any pipeline from Iran or Turkmenistan has to pass through Pakistan. Apart from the vulnerability of the pipeline within Pakistan, one has also to take into account the possible political and other developments that may take place in future within the countries in which the source of such gas supply originates. There is no guarantee that on a future date, the Government of Iran or Turkmenistan refuses to sale gas to India for any unspecified reasons. Added to this is the possibility of Pakistan at some point of time refuses to allow passing of gas through its territory to India. In both these situations, the Indian industries and other facilities that would have been developed on the basis of assured gas supply from Iran and Turkmenistan will come to a grinding halt.
Now let us go to the possible natural gas suppliers from the East. Bangladesh is a country which can be least dependent as a reliable source of energy for India. The internal politics of Bangladesh is such that very few politicians will have the courage to sign a pact with India to sell any gas to India. They will immediately be termed as traitors by the rest of the political parties. Therefore, Bangladesh should be ruled out as a reliable supplier of the natural gas, at the most gas can be purchased from that country to run some auxiliary industry as an alternate source of energy as and when the BD political leadership is benevolent enough to send some gas to India. In any case, BD will be more unreliable than Iran and Pakistan as far as supply of energy to India is concerned.
That leaves us with Myanmar. It is a country which can be depended upon, as its leaders are honest enough to always take decisions boldly. If they agree to sale natural gas to India, they will be true to their word. At present, it has a military government but even that is replaced by some other form of Government, we can be assured of steady supply from that country, provided that India does not interfere or is seen to interfere in any internal matter of Myanmar.
This is the most optimistic and conservative energy scenario for India in the future, we need to re assess our energy requirement and examine the possibilities of use of other sources of energy for our growing industry as well as other sectors of consumption.
I am of the view that, power generation in India should be increased by setting up more hydro power and nuclear power plants. Gradually, we should reduce the number of conventional thermal power plants. We have so far tapped only a very small part of our hydro power potential. This needs to be explored to the fullest extent. At the same time, we should increase the use of solar power and bio gas to primarily meet the energy requirements of the rural sector. The electrification of the railways needs to be speeded us and all big cities should have metro rail system. The cumulative effect of all these measures will reduce our need for petroleum or natural gas as a source of energy.
Coal is the only source of fossil energy that is available to us in plenty. SO far we have been using coal for cooking and power generation in thermal power stations. We have stopped using coal in the railways a few years back. In cooking also to reduce pollution, particularly in the urban areas, we have switched over to LPG from coal. Now according to the present thinking of the experts, the use of coal should in fact be reduced to prevent the w3warming up of the earth. This has given us the idea of increasing our dependency on natural gas as a medium of energy. Unfortunately, this would require the importation of large quantity of natural gas from other countries.
This quest for natural gas has now given us the idea of importing natural gas by pipeline from, Iran, Turkmenistan and, Bangladesh and of late Myanmar. All these ideas are still in the planning and negotiation stages. Let us examine these grand projects and their desirability as a reliable source of energy for running the vital installations of our national economy.
Any pipeline from Iran or Turkmenistan has to pass through Pakistan. Apart from the vulnerability of the pipeline within Pakistan, one has also to take into account the possible political and other developments that may take place in future within the countries in which the source of such gas supply originates. There is no guarantee that on a future date, the Government of Iran or Turkmenistan refuses to sale gas to India for any unspecified reasons. Added to this is the possibility of Pakistan at some point of time refuses to allow passing of gas through its territory to India. In both these situations, the Indian industries and other facilities that would have been developed on the basis of assured gas supply from Iran and Turkmenistan will come to a grinding halt.
Now let us go to the possible natural gas suppliers from the East. Bangladesh is a country which can be least dependent as a reliable source of energy for India. The internal politics of Bangladesh is such that very few politicians will have the courage to sign a pact with India to sell any gas to India. They will immediately be termed as traitors by the rest of the political parties. Therefore, Bangladesh should be ruled out as a reliable supplier of the natural gas, at the most gas can be purchased from that country to run some auxiliary industry as an alternate source of energy as and when the BD political leadership is benevolent enough to send some gas to India. In any case, BD will be more unreliable than Iran and Pakistan as far as supply of energy to India is concerned.
That leaves us with Myanmar. It is a country which can be depended upon, as its leaders are honest enough to always take decisions boldly. If they agree to sale natural gas to India, they will be true to their word. At present, it has a military government but even that is replaced by some other form of Government, we can be assured of steady supply from that country, provided that India does not interfere or is seen to interfere in any internal matter of Myanmar.
This is the most optimistic and conservative energy scenario for India in the future, we need to re assess our energy requirement and examine the possibilities of use of other sources of energy for our growing industry as well as other sectors of consumption.
I am of the view that, power generation in India should be increased by setting up more hydro power and nuclear power plants. Gradually, we should reduce the number of conventional thermal power plants. We have so far tapped only a very small part of our hydro power potential. This needs to be explored to the fullest extent. At the same time, we should increase the use of solar power and bio gas to primarily meet the energy requirements of the rural sector. The electrification of the railways needs to be speeded us and all big cities should have metro rail system. The cumulative effect of all these measures will reduce our need for petroleum or natural gas as a source of energy.