Power woes in Gurez – II
GUREZ SERIES…
GUREZ’S FIRST WINDMILL.
Connect Gurez with the Solar farm of Ladakh
There is a significant pitch, to connect Gurez with the massive Ladakh Solar Project commenced in 2018 that is claimed, to redirect the entire region towards cleaner energy besides also turning it into an energy-exporting zone for parts of the country.
The ambitious project of 7.5 GW Solar Park was initiated despite the cold, as the Ladakh region favors good prospects due to high irradiation and low pollution in the eco-sensitive region. The giant project is proceeding gradually per se due to a few hurdles. This makes substantial sense. How? The Drass region in Ladakh is only 59 Kms from Chakwali- which is the last civilian allowed point in the border area falling in Gurez. Drass- is the massive battlefield of the Indo-Pak war of Kargil in 1999, from the Mashkoh valley side.
Another source of electric power could be by utilizing wind energy and installation of windmills. In Amsterdam, the scene of Tulips in the backdrop of windmills is stunningly beautiful, hence aesthetics work very well in the wind power generators that merge and enhance the beauty of Gurez.
The need to ask these questions and highlight responses were sorely felt, considering, Gurez is being vigorously pitched as a remarkable tourist destination. The government needs to do more about power needs if a tourist footprint is required to support it in the economic upliftment of the lesser-trudged area. In this context, it becomes imperative to relate an incident that will remain stamped in my memory for life that one night in Gurez. A slight slip or break in spirit could have turned it in any direction – here is how …
A Night in pitch dark
As a solo traveller, one of my four nights in the JKTDC (Jammu Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation) owned Tourist complex was a nightmare chilly (at -6 degrees centigrade) and extremely harsh. Not a soul had stayed in the Tourist complex in any adjoining rooms for three nights in a row. It was strange that I was given to understand that the Tourist complex was fully booked. The power that night was in a tearing hurry and left merely 10 minutes after my arrival and vanished into the chilly wind for the rest of the night. Past 7 pm in pitch dark, I used an almost depleted dim battery-operated mobile light to look around for essentials. I waited as I was expecting power to be restored. It was only 7 PM and power is given till midnight. No one to call out to, the night turned into a real-time dread.
Facing this unexpected scenario, I drew upon lessons in survival that I learned in the sports fields and my girl-guide training, in school days of the 60s-70s.
I decided to face the challenge head-on. As a first, to beat the bitter cold and dark, all that I could manage was to creep inside a quilt, fully clothed, wearing a snow jacket, snow trousers, snow boots with a double pair of socks, extra leg warmers, balaclava, and a snow cap et al. With a tepid hot water bottle for company, provided by the lone vanishing caretaker of the complex, the night turned long, dark, fearful and dreary. I hardly slept a blink in the below-freezing temperature, with conked out mobile, depleted battery banks, completely cut off. Two nights before, snowstorms had swept the Razdan Top- the high mountain pass leading to the valley of Gurez. I had no experience of dealing with snow or the chill of minus degrees. Even the washroom, which had to be frequently visited and used due to the chilly conditions, proved hostile and provided hardly any water. It was an irony that I was in a place close to the river and there was no water in the taps! A place on which a hydroelectric plant generated hydroelectricity and no electricity reached the hydro-mother of the Kishanganga River. I shivered the entire night not only of cold but also out of helplessness. At the break of dawn I called out from the main door for help, but no soul had risked out then. I could feel icicles cracking on the door of the complex.
Calling upon all angels and good fairies for help, I then put my meditative and yoga skills to practice the ‘kapaal bhatii’ breathing technique to generate heat and keep it going in my blood vessels, throughout the night. It made me thank the Almighty for all His blessings, that we take for granted. Alternately, it made me think about the hardships faced by the Gurezis in this place. At 6 o’clock I again made my way to the front door and called out, I couldn’t see a soul in the fog; I went back into bed that literally felt wet. Eventually at 8 o’clock my driver Tanveer knocked, and looked in, to my utter relief, as we were scheduled for Tulail tour that day. I felt all cramped from sleeplessness and the night of bitter cold and complete blackout. I almost appeared ill to him. Brushing aside the panic and dread of past hours, I urged Tanveer to charge my phone and battery bank in his car and decided to leave the night behind and enjoy my present time, as they say – “The here and now”. I learned from locals, that most people after a similar experience leave the complex promptly to book private accommodation. Perhaps if I had the car with me, I too would have done the same.
Be prepared
If you are tough and perchance, have thoughts of adventurer, to rough it out in the Tourism complex accommodation, beware there is no kitchen facility even to heat water, making something simple like tea or Maggie, is a King’s dream. The Government-owned tourist complex severely lacks basics, other facilities are a grand fantasy.
The toilets too suffer a similar fate. Limited power means no geysers are put to labour and no hot water is possible even for a wash. ‘I couldn’t take a bath for four days I was there”. This deficiency seems to be a great big advantage to privately-owned accommodations in Dawar, with the tourism department clearly handing out the benefit; virtually on a platter to give them a full occupancy status. This, despite, the fact that the Tourist complex is located in the most picturesque spot, sitting within a large beautiful garden complex with a grand view of Habba Khatoon Peak!
Accommodations in Gurez
At ‘Kaka Palace’ Hotel, Dawar, Gurez, Younis and Ajas the owners,were most helpful throughout. The hotel presents a sharp contrast to the Tourist Complex- serving delicious food, providing a chunk more than the limited power supply in all of Gurez, hot-water round-the-clock, cozy rooms, heaters, and hot-water bottles as well. Hotel ‘Wood vibes’ is another nice accommodation just close by. Besides this, there is Hotel Grand Gurez and Gurez Retreat.
Closing point: Check, the taxi for sturdiness, for a rough Himalayan drive, it shouldn’t be very old with fairly good condition of tyres. Also, the vehicle must have a functional charging socket. Carry a super speed, branded car charger with multiple slots, for your electronic equipment including mobiles, laptops, cameras, and battery banks, which can deal with power fluctuations in the car. I was suggested Targus. Pictures are a great treasure and for the world of it, it would be sinful and criminal, for anyone, to have a mobile camera with no charging! Believe me, with Gurez it could prove to be lifelong regret and a cause of mental trauma for the rest of your life.
First windmill gifted by a Gujarati, operational in Gurez
A windmill has arrived in Gurez. It is a gift from a Gujarati Suresh Kapadia. Suresh is the CEO of ‘Arkin Ventures’ a private engineering firm dealing in solar thermal technology in Nasik and is invited to present his projects in various countries at Tech International forums.
Suresh while speaking to the author, explained -“I worked out the feasibility factor of Gurez in great detail and felt that more than Solar energy, the wind energy needs to be harnessed in such snow-bound areas. “Gurez is ideal, it has high-velocity winds of more than 8 knots, which is more than sufficient and can produce 24×7, 365 days of electricity for the entire belt.
Suresh totalled –“Razdan Pass is most ideal and possesses a formidable potential for a chain of windmills that would make entire Gurez, Tulail, and Bandipore glitter with lights at 1/6 the cost of hydropower. The requirement is about 12 to15 MVA, which will not only suffice but make it power surplus region. The windmill project can become operational in three months with a maximum implementation period of six months for weather exigencies. The project would cost about Rs 20 Crores, said Suresh. Suresh has not only floated the idea to the government but has taken concrete steps with a gift of the first windmill project worth Rs 6 lakhs to Gurez as a model device on his own, which has lit up a large portion of a forward army post. “The more the wind velocity, the merrier, and no uprooting of infrastructure are there, is the beauty of this project. In no time the Post where it is built would become energy autonomous”, he assured.
The best part is the input cost can be recovered in merely 13 months and will take care of lifelong electricity needs with minimal maintenance; just a battery change would be required every 8 years. “I have already sent a draft of installation, operations and output to the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir.
If this is a proven possibility, why doesn’t the government look at it ….? I ask
RESPONSE
Incidentally I have been closely involved in Kishanganga HEP, a NHPC project since I was the project director from the designer’s (Halcrow of UK) from 2009 start till 2013. As far as I recall various alternatives were considered by NHPC to provide electricity to Gurez valley.
One alternative considered was to have a transmission line from Bandipore to Gurez through the water tunnel. It was shelved because its maintenance would be a nightmare with the tunnel having to be drained every time you need to do a maintenance job. The other was to construct a small dam toe powerhouse in Kanzilwan Gurez itself from the environment release flow which would suffice the local demand.
Seems this dam toe powerhouse has not been constructed (it was the same concept you mention of 3 units of 0.8 MW in your article). Will check why it was not constructed.
With regard to road connectivity the government or rather NHAI missed a golden chance to have a road tunnel constructed through the same machine and agency as the headrace tunnel/water conductor of the Kishangana Project. The tunnel boring machine, which has failed literally in all hydro projects in Himalayas, performed exceptionally well here. M/s Seli from Italy supplied the machine and excavated the tunnel. It achieved a record of 817 metres of tunneling (including concreting -segment laying) in a month. With 5.2 metres diameter a tunnel using the TBM could have been gainfully used to construct the main road tunnel and this could be used for construction, maintenance, escape and ventilation.
Solar incidentally is very much possible. Efficiency/output will drop in winter when it is needed most but it will work. A pumped storage scheme using solar to pump up the water will work best. No pollution and much less environmental degradation. The pumped storages work as battery banks and are very functional.
Iftikar Drabu
Rashmi Talwar, an Independent writer, can be emailed at: [email protected]
