The case for hydropower.

Byline: Mushtaq Ahmad Jan

IN the 19th Century much of the electric power in the Industrial and developing countries was generated with the burning of fossil fuels and hydropower.

Later on, around the middle of the 20th Century focus turned towards solar, wind and nuclear power. Development of nuclear power became more dominant in the Industrial world.

However, staunch resistance to nuclear energy nurtured mainly by the potential hazards associated with the leakage of the nuclear radiation and the dumping of the nuclear waste, the developed nations in Europe and Japan shifted focus towards renewable energy resources.

Similarly coal was widely used to generate electricity but due to grave problems posed by the carbon emissions, coal plants were abandoned or converted to other fuels.

It is now widely available for commercial and domestic markets. Other common fuels utilized are diesel and natural gas.

These fuels are becoming scarcer, expensive and posing climatic problems mainly with their carbon emissions.

Further they have sustainability issues related to the availability and higher costs. Therefore the recent trend is inclining towards diverting the generation of electrical power with renewable energies, mainly solar, wind and water.

The successes in the development of photovoltaic technology in terms of increased efficiency and reduced costs, led solar energy to the forefront.

At the same time countries endowed with abundant water resources harnessed water effectively for the generation of electrical power.

Hydropower has the added advantage that not only it generates substantial electric power it is also a great source of water storage.

Therefore it is a viable alternative next to wind and solar specially for the countries with great river runs and gorges for water storage.

Here we will discuss the pros and cons of hydroelectric power. Since ancient times rivers were harnessed to utilize the power of water into generating energy.

It is reported that the first water mills were in operation in c 80 BC. First commercial hydropower plant was in operation in 1882.

In the present times although the cost of solar has come down drastically, hydropower still remains the cheapest source of electric energy.

Countries which have vast resources of water have harnessed the river successfully for power generation and water storage.

For example, the South American countries are producing more than half of their total production from hydropower.

Some...