Ex IIT Professor decides to go on a fast-unto-death

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by: Ayan Biswas
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May 19,2008, Dehra Doon:

Dr. G.D. Agrawal-the man himself

Campaigning against hydropower generation is not new. But when it is initiated by an outstanding scholar who has been leading expert in the field of environmental engineering, a renowned faculty at IIT Kanpur, a part of several committees of Govt. of India for policy making and regulatory interventions for environmental quality improvements then it becomes eye-raising. Prof. G.D. Agrwal has chosen to die to call attention to an issue that is fast losing its meaning as an issue.

Prof. G.D. Agarwal is currently Honorary Professor at Gandhi Gramodya Vishwa Vidhalaya (GGVV), Chitrakoot (MP), a deemed university. He graduated in Civil Engineering from University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee) and obtained PhD degree from University Berkeley, USA. Dr. Agarwal was Professor at IIT Kanpur until late 1970s and had served as the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kanpur. He has published several papers and guided many M.Tech. and Ph.D students who are now the leaders in the field of environmental engineering.He has continued a close association with the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Kanpur and particularly with the Environmental Engineering group. At the request of Nanaji Deshmukk he served as a faculty member of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural University set up by Nanaji in Chitrakoot. He has been working at Chitrakoot without accepting any pay in an honorary capacity as a service to the country. He is one of those legendary teachers whom their students remember even after years. He was founder member secretary of the Pollution Control Board. But above all Prof. Agarwal is man of deep understanding and high integrity inspiring hundreds of his students the world over.

Dr Agarwal served as the Member Secretary of Central Pollution Control Board during 1981-83 and contributed significantly to the regulatory pollution control infrastructure in the country. He served as a Director of a leading environmental consulting and monitoring equipment company, M/s Envirotech Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, since 1983 for several years.

In addition, he has been a member of several committees of Govt. of India for policy making and regulatory interventions for environmental quality improvements. He has also been associated with the leading NGO, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. Dr Agarwal has now fully devoted himself to save River Bhagirathi.

At Chitrakoot, on 18th-19th May 2004, along with other leaders of the Rashtriya Jal Yatra Campaign he passed the Chitrakoot Water Declaration stating that water is common, not private, property. As such, it is the local people living near water sources – ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, etc., - who have the right to use and conserve water, not companies or even the government India’s national water policy needs to reflect this.

Professor G.D. Agarwal, now about 76 but in robust health, has been residing in Chitrakoot for almost 20 -25 years now. Prof. Agarwal has a deep understanding of Indian tradition and environment and thus has a very different perceptions about most environment related issues, more rooted and appropriate for our country and the world as well. He has been deeply disturbed, like many others, about the manner in which Ganga has been treated by successive governments over the years. We have been tampering with the Ganga, in particular the Bhagirathi (tehri dam is only one among many glaring examples) resulting it in only running like a trickle many times (because of the damning of the flow). At times there has been no water even in haridwar. This is a severe blow on the faith of a large majority of people in this country. And faith is a big thing. It gives tremendous strength to cope with adversities in life. It unites people. Dr. Agarwal is much pained by what we are doing to the Ganga and the implications it may have on our people and our country. Having done the damage that we have done by building the Tehri dam he feels now at least the Ganga between Gomukh and Uttarkashi should be left alone, but we are tampering with it even in those areas. He has also been very disturbed about the river linking scheme of our government(s).

Unfortunately on such issues of so called ‘development’ all governments, all political parties (Congress, Samajwadi, BJP, the Communists) have similar views and hence the schemes go on undisturbed, with change in governments. It is almost a global phenomena – the way our elite, the powerful perceive ‘development’.

Under the circumstances he has decided to go on fast unto death from June 13^th (Ganga Dusserra) 2008. He will find a suitable place in Uttarkashi and start his fast from that place. He has written a letter to a few people close to him informing them of this decision and the reasons thereof asking them to pray for him to help him in his resolve. Dr. Agarwal is not a publicity seeker. He has not reached his decision in a hurry but after deliberating and contemplating about it for a long time.

He is not campaigning against hydropower generation. He believes that there are better ways to generate hydropower that less threatens people's lives and livelihoods. The state government needs to carefully study the issues and prepare a comprehensive policy with the genuine involvement of the communities that are likely to be affected.

The Ganga holds a unique place in Indian consciousness. Like lacs of other Hindus he also regarded the Ganga as a celestial river originating in the heavens, which he worships as the mother who washes away all the sins of mankind. On the 3-4 November 2007, Sankat moc-han Foundation (SMF), an NGO, commemorated their 25 Anniversary on the banks of Ganga, at Tulsighat, Varanasi. On this occasion he said that the whole world regard Ganga as a mother;Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in Varanasi has failed due to the Uttar Pradesh government adopting very ordinary technology to address the wastewater issue. Yet, he believes that the pollution in Ganga can be prevented by using interceptor sewers and AIWPS technology. He appealed to people to come forward to clean Ganga in the ancient city of Varanasi.

In 1997, at the request of the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN), the Sankat moc-han Foundation (SMF) submitted a Project Feasibility Report (PFR) for sewage interception, dispersion and treatment for the city of Varanasi under Ganga Action Plan Phase II. In 1999 the UP Jal Nigam submitted a different PFR for Varanasi under GAP Phase II. Upon receiving this the Varanasi Nagar Nigam requested experts of the stature of Prof. G.D. Agrawal to do a techno-economic appraisal of the two PFRs.Prof. Agrawal concluded that the VNN-SMF scheme shall be more favourable for Varanasi city due to:

1. Not being dependent on pumping, the interception shall have much less disruptions and shall be more reliable.

2. Treated effluent shall be much lower in coliforms and much better in all other respects.

3. Land costs and acquisition problems shall be much less or absent.

4. Much lower capital costs. (Rs.150 Crores for VNN SMF versus Rs.300 Crores for UPJN - 1997 costs)

5. Pumping energy consumption lower by 6 million units per year.

6. Operation and Maintenance costs lower by Rs.2.50 Crores per year.

As a consequence of this report the Varanasi Nagar Nigam reiterated its desire for implementation of the VNN-SMF scheme under GAP Phase II.

WHY THIS EXTREME STEP

Now Ganga rivers’ very existence is threatened as the state government, driven by an untrammeled lust for revenue and money-making, has given permission for the construction of a cascade of hydropower projects in its uppermost reaches. So far 220 big, medium and small dams have been decided upon throughout the state.

The Loharinag Pala and Tapovan-Vishnugad hydroelectric power projects both are run of the river projects that the public sector National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is constructing in Uttarkashi district of Uttaranchal.The Loharinag Pala is a 600 MW project and it's barrage site is at Loharinag village on the Bhagirathi river. The Tapovan-Vishnugad is a 520MW project and the dam is across the Dhauliganga river in Joshimath town. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) granted both these projects clearance on 8th February 2005.

The Ganga and most of its glacial tributaries will be converted into a series of ponds (reservoirs behind the dams) connected by pipes (tunnels). Most of the upper reaches of the Ganga river system will become dry as the water is pushed into tunnels.

It is a question that has been coming up time and again: Is the Ministry of Environment and Forests merely acting as a rubber stamp for all that the government does, or does it at have a capacity, in the interest of protecting the environment as per the mandate given to it, to say no to any proposal put forward to it in the name of development?

The original Ganga, with its unique bacteria killing viral bacteriophage, now does not exist below Uttarkashi :

Below Uttarkashi at the Maneri Phase I project site only 2 - 3 cusecs of water can be seen as leaking from the dam and from another release point, while the rest of the Bhagirathi is being diverted in a long tunnel to the power project at Dharasu nearly 40 kms downstream, leaving virtually no flow in the river. On the following day, it was confirmed that waters from the Maneri Phase II were also similarly diverted in a tunnel also to Dharasu. The stream was revived only by the flow of the Assi Ganga, which debouched into the Bhagirathi bed, some 4 kms upstream of Uttarkashi.

About the Author

Hello, My name is Ayan. Ayan Biswas. By profession I am an Environmental Scieintist. I work in non-profit. public interest resaerch organisation called " People's Science Institute (PSI)". And I am proud to say that I am one of Dr. Agrawal's students.

Several scientists and activists whom he has mentored (including myself) over the years have come together to try and mobilize public opinion to pressurize the governments of India and Uttarakhand to abandon the construction of all dams on the Bhagirathi river, upstream of Uttarkashi. I seek your support in this endeavour. I want your active participation in this community to help disseminate news of GD's fast and the underlying issues, as widely as possible.

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Ex IIT Professor decides to go on a fast-unto-death

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