[Assam] From Assam Tribune/ Innovative Thinking?

[Chan Mahanta]

Good to hear from you Alpana!

Yes,  you are right about  "-- get the flood water out of Assam 
during the rainy season".  But  the qualifier 'ANYTHING' is where the 
problem lies.  Look at the "ANYTHING" like solutions that Bihar got 
and see what it is doping for its people!

So, ANYTHING is not necessarily better than NOTHING.  Such simplistic 
analogies have been at the root of India's many manmade miseries.   " 
Sob kuch solta hai" is not good policy as you would realize instantly 
if only you ponder that for a moment.

How would you like to see China damming up the Tsangpo to block that 
part of the water from coming down the Brahmaputra  for example? That 
would be a whole lot more reduction of water than a  1 meter diameter 
or even 2, pipe carrying water from the Brahmaputra, would'nt it?

Only an utterly ignorant person would assert that  piping water out 
from the  Brahmaputra would or could alleviate flooding in Assam. 
And I am stunned by the journalistic acumen of a  newspaper that 
lauds it as "innovative thinking".

While I realize that the good guvnor is a lay person , and old 
political animal out in the pasture and as such could not be expected 
to have much knowledge about the world of water, one would have hoped 
he has or has access to advisers who can at least coach him on what 
to say ( and what not to), if not explain successfully. But I guess 
that is not something that one can expect from Indian governance, 
even today.

Finally, I am sure you will agree that to remain smug in a world of 
know-nothing-ism, isn't much of a virtue, wouldn't you :-)?








At 12:48 PM -0500 9/17/08, Alpana B. Sarangapani wrote:
>Anything that works to get the flood water out of Assam during the 
>rainy season so that the villagers don't suffer year after year 
>after year.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>"When restraint and courtesy are added to strength the latter 
>becomes irresistible."
>"In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree 
>and humble like a blade of grass."
>
>  > Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:30:39 -0500> To: assam at assamnet.org> 
>From: cmahanta at charter.net> CC: WaterWatch at yahoogroups.com> Subject: 
>[Assam] From Assam Tribune/ Innovative Thinking?> > What do netters 
>think? Is it innovative thinking as the Assam > Tribune 
>characterizes it? Will it "---reduce the flood level in the > main 
>river sufficiently" ? Does it sound like a comment from even a > 
>remotely informed person or yet another fool's rants? Or could 
>AT's > comment reflect utter clueless-ness and demonstration of 
>abject > brown-nosing?> > Express yourselves folks! Silence is not 
>golden. Silence of the able > is an abdication of citizenship 
>responsibilities and leads to the > blunders upon blunders that our 
>people have endured for generations.> > cm> > > > > > > > > Governor 
>Mathur for diverting Brahmaputra water> > Spl correspondent> NEW 
>DELHI, Sept 16 - In what could be described as innovative > 
>thinking, Governor of Assam, Shiv Charan Mathur today mooted an 
>idea > to create a mega national grid for diverting the water of 
>mighty > Brahmaputra River through pipeline to water deficient 
>States. The > Governor's proposal can be seen as an extension of the 
>river-linking > project, was unveiled at the two-day Conference of 
>Governors' hosted > by President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, here 
>today.> > The Governor, who spoke at length on the flood problem of 
>Assam, has > reasoned that if crude oil could be brought from 
>countries like Iran > and Afghanistan covering a distance of 5000 
>Km. Why can't water of > Brahmaputra River be profitably used by 
>water deficient States like > Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, 
>Jharkhand, Delhi and Rajasthan.> > A national grid for supply of 
>water would be constructed at > appropriate location in the mighty 
>Brahmaputra and the same could be > sent through pipeline to the 
>water scarce States in the country, he > said.> > All through its 
>course adequate number of boosting stations could be > put to reach 
>the water to the States.> > This is going to reduce the flood level 
>in the main river > sufficiently. "To have a permanent solution to 
>the flood problem we > need to regulate the flow of water into the 
>main river from its > tributaries like constructing reservoirs in 
>the upper reaches," he > said.> > The river system of Assam has to 
>develop in an integrated and > comprehensive way for utilising the 
>vast water resources available.> > This is a mega national project, 
>which could be planned and initiated > only by Government of India 
>by making adequate financial provisions.> > A mechanism is 
>therefore, required which would pay back the > investments made and 
>survive on its own and also generate adequate > revenue, while 
>giving additional benefits of introducing a > nationalist and 
>socio-economic fabric of the region by generating > considerable 
>jobs and various opportunities, in turn may solve the > prevailing 
>unrest in North Eastern Region, he suggested.> > Calling for 
>support, the Governor said the mega national project is > the need 
>of the hour and should be undertaken by Government of India, > if 
>need be by inviting foreign consultants in the field.> > Referring 
>to another aspect of the economy, the Governor said there > were 
>efforts underway to hold a seminar in December on the > hydrocarbon 
>potential and the key aspects of exploring oil on a large > scale in 
>Assam.> > Efforts are also underway to provide employment to the 
>urban educated > youths by opening new industries, starting new 
>universities and by > enhancing the intake capacity of existing 
>institutions.> > _______________________________________________> 
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