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Business Daily: Hydroelectric power in focus after disaster in India

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30/03/2021 GMT

Hydroelectric power in focus after disaster in India

BBC World Service - Business Daily, Hydroelectric power in focus after disaster in India

After the Uttarakhand dam disaster, should India revise its clean energy strategy?

After the Uttarakhand dam disaster in the Himalayas, should India revise its clean energy growth strategy?

In February a devastating flash flood in India's northern state of Uttarakhand killed at least 70 people and trapped workers in underground tunnels. We'll hear from locals who witnessed the horrific events, as well as Uttarakhand journalist Kavita Upadhyay about how the news spread among the community. Indian geologist Dr Kalachand Sain explains exactly what happened that caused the flood, and Dave Petley, professor of geography at the University of Sheffield explains how climate change played a role. Now, in the wake of the disaster, India's strategy to bring more clean energy to the country through hydroelectric dams is coming into focus, with fears the projects are affecting the delicate balance of the Himalayan ecology. Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, explains why the dams should not have been near Himalayan glaciers to begin with,and what could have been done better to warn those near the disaster. Sunita Narain, director of the Centre of Science and Environment in Delhi argues, however, that development is needed in the Himalayas but it needs to be done responsibly. And we close with Amitabh Pande, who warns that the Himalayas are a precious resource to India, and should be treated with care.

(Picture: the entrance of Tapovan tunnel following a flash flood in Uttarakhand state, India. Picture credit: JALEES ANDRABI/AFP via Getty Images)

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Hydroelectric power in focus after disaster in India

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