NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND POWER
India is progressing in many fronts through planned development in infrastructure,power,transportatation ,communication,irrigation ,agriculture ,manufacturing and materials.However in many areas we are woefully short of the needed capacity coming up in time  to meet the growing needs of our country.Power is one such sector.With lessthan 600 units of electricity consumption on per capita basis plans are afoot to take this to 1500 units per person in coming years.This calls for massive cpacity creation for hydro,themal,nuclear and renewable sources of energy.

The hydropwer potential locked up in Himalayan region estimated to be more than 80000 MW is not tapped fully .Only small beginning has been despite being a source of clean energy.Our main stay is coal based thermal power and our ability to add 20000 MW annually has been a big challenge.Mining and transporting coal to the thermal power stations across the country needs railways and shipping  capacities to be augmentedon one hand and production of  power generation equipmenton the other hand .We are still no where near reaching the goals set due to delay in capacity creation.The story is not much different in nuclear  and renewable energy options.Making nuclear energy and solar and wind energy as a component to meet our power needs is equally hampered by technology issues.

We have to reach power generation capacity close to 400000 MW at the earliest.The investments in other sectors cannot fructify unless assured power is made available.Agriculturists need quality power and the Medium and small industries contributing to more than 50 % of our industrial production are starving for power.Captive generation at very high cost makes these industries lose their competitiveness.

These are challenging times for enginners especially in power sector.All the means available have to be harnessed for efficient generation, transmission and distribution and Utilization.It is worth recalling the words of V.I.Lenin after the October revolution

“ The development of Soviet Union will be based on Soviet plus Electricity
And
No Power is costlier than No Power.”
There can be no better way of putting our needs in indian context as well.

R.M.Vasagam
Chairman,NDRF