MICRO HYDEL GENERATION IN HILLY AREAS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NEPALESE CONDITIONS

Abstract

It is needless to emphasize the importance of the part electricity can play in stimulating the economic growth and social well-being of the people of any country. In highly developed countries the electricity has virtually become the life blood of the economic and social structure of the community. As a potential stimulant to industry, the need of electricity in rural areas is zone the less important than In the urban areas. As a means of bringing comfort and social well-being, it is again or prime importance. It is needless to elaborate here that the influence of electricity on product either in big or small industries or in agriculture is over-whelmingly. greater than its cost. So eves► in remote hill rural or urban areas electricity can play a deceisive role in stimul-sting industrial atmosphere and bring general well.-being to the people. There may be many alternative means to achieve the functions of supplying electricity to such communities• Such alternatives are thermal powers, wind power and hydro power• But in country like Nepal where majority of areas awaiting electrifications lie on the rugged hilly terrain and where fossil fuel are non-existent and needs importing and where perennial rivers, rivulets$ streams flows every where, hydro power could be the best and only solution to meet the demand of electrification in such areas 2 Since hill rural areas are widely spread and have low population density, the factors which are not conducive to the establishment of grid system, micro hydel plants utilising the flow of the stream and the natural fall could play a very important part• 14icro Hydel Development has its own peculiar problems and unless great attention is paid in its planning it can be prohibitively costly. Simplicity in civil engineering works is the key to keep the capital cost down, Micro Hydel Development is generally uneconomical compared to major hydro electric developments. But electricity is a must to uplift the living standard of the people of the hill rural and urban areas• In the peculiar circumstances of the hill areas micro hydel development becomes the only solution to electrification of these areas.