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Upper Kotmale:
water and cost factor If Mr. Siyambalapitiya
is referring to the fuel cost of generating thermal energy as against
hydropower generation, the calculation of the financial cost will
have to be made on a net basis. Without additional information,
it is not possible to say whether Mr. Siyambalapitiya is correct
or incorrect. Engineer D.P Chandrasinghe has also estimated the
cost of non-implementation of the project as Rs 15.5 per KWh. This
estimate is certainly incorrect since this contains double counting. The purpose
of this brief note is not to deal with the financial cost of non-implementation,
but the economic costs of implementation of the project. As an economist,
I believe at this stage that the project needs careful and comprehensive
analysis, covering both direct and indirect costs and benefits. Most economists
do not give much consideration to environmental implications of
projects of this nature due to the over- emphasis on benefits. However,
I believe that environmental implications of hydropower projects
are not confined only to their immediate environment, but have much
wider implications than we know at present. Sri Lanka does
not have large rivers. All the country's rivers originate from a
single region, i.e., the hill country. The main source of water
comes from springs in the hilly region, which is supplemented by
seasonal rain in the catchments. Since rivers
are not very large, they carry a limited amount of water. We have
observed that during the last few years all our major rivers dry
up quickly after the rainy season is over. It appears that insufficient
water in the rivers is the main cause of the problem. Since dams
store water, the flow of the rivers is significantly reduced and
the volume of water that flows in the rivers is not sufficient to
replenish the underground water as well. Sand mining
of rivers and streams has compounded the problem of water scarcity.
Another feature that we observe is that the country does not face
severe floods even during rainy seasons as in the past. Although Sri
Lanka's population growth has declined almost to the replacement
level, the country will have at least another five million before
its population reaches stability. This means that the country's
food supply must increase by at least 20 to 25 percent to meet minimum
food security levels. To increase the food supply, the country needs
a considerable amount of additional irrigation water. The Upper Kotmale
project only provides about 90 MW at the initial stage which may
provide about 200 GWh of electricity - about 2 percent of the current
supply from thermal and hydropower or about 8 percent of hydropower.
Even if this project is implemented, the country is going to face
a serious power shortage without a substantial increase in the supply
in the next few years. Mr. Siyambalapitiya
also claims that thermal power results in the emission of between
3 to 6 tons of pollutant material to the environment. This is true
and that is what the country pays for economic development. Countries
where thermal power is used enforce strict standards to control
such pollution. Although such standards also exist in Sri Lanka,
they remain only on paper. I am not suggesting
that the Upper Kotmale project should be abandoned. My concern is
that the decision to implement the project should not be based solely
on financial benefits; it should also take into account the overall
economic costs and benefits. The government
has so far not carried out a comprehensive study on the effects
of hydropower schemes on the downstream water supply and underground
water. There is a clear relationship between poverty and the availability
of water for cultivation in rural areas. If the project is likely
to aggravate the water scarcity for agricultural activities, the
financial cost of non-implementation alone may be irrelevant to
make a correct policy decision. Go
for witness and rap on the bar table Firstly, laws'
delays are a nuisance. What is expected of the witness under oath
is to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Yet, much depends on the witness' recollection of the incident.
Any civic-minded citizen, who gets into the witness box is made,
by some lawyers, to perspire under his collar and falter when memory,
after a long lapse of time, fails on some aspects. Moreover, in
a murder case a witness may possibly receive a jail term for perjury!
Secondly, a
person who volunteers to give evidence is the most important person
in the courtroom. Yet, some lawyers usually attempt to browbeat
him with questions seemingly unimportant. The experienced
lawyer tries to find an opportune time to subject the witness to
astute cross-examination. "Be precise with an yes or no,"
he demands and raps on the bar table in visible indignation. This act is
well orchestrated in the well of the court to discredit the witness. A professor
of law had briefed his alumni: "If the facts are on your side,
throw them at the jury; if the law is on your side put it to the
judge. But if there is neither go for the witness head-on and rap
at the table furiously." Parliament
shows: adults only When PA and
UNF MPs behave in this unruly manner, JVP members, who have emerged
from a terrorist organization with no parliamentary experience,
will never learn to behave in Parliament. Parliament
should be out of bounds to schoolchildren as it sets a bad example
and parliamentary proceedings should be telecast after 9 p.m. for
adults only. Exploited in
the name of education It's the same
story with textbooks held together by small staples which come apart
in a few weeks, though schoolchildren have to use them for a full
year. School bags too, burst at the seams and cheap shoes from foreign
factories, open up like crocodiles, when our own Sri Lankan factories
give us more durable shoes. Meanwhile,
the canteens are run at a 100 percent profit, serving children non-nutritious
food, fried this, that and the other or fizzy, unhealthy drinks.
Why can't they have wholesome green gram, cowpea, sweet potatoes,
manioc, kola kenda and milk products? If we do things
according to our conscience, we will produce a healthier and stronger
younger generation. Weapons wielding
rights champions Two of the
most lucrative businesses in the world are arms and drugs. Both
threaten human existence. The arms producer is as bad as a drug
dealer. A drug dealer brings slow death to society while an arms
producer brings instant death. Of what use
are words of concern over human rights while producing instruments
of mass destruction? If world powers are serious about a 'new world
order' this is what they should deal with first. The answer
we all know Northern
Tamils get Sinhala letters When a letter
is received in Sinhala, the recipient has to seek out a translator.
There are only a few persons in the Northern Province at present
who can effectively assist in the matter. This is very frustrating.
The use of
Tamil in correspondence with the people in the north and the east
is an administrative matter and if implemented properly, would boost
peace efforts and also remove an irritant. The state should
see to it that the administrative staff strictly adhere to this
policy. The constitution may be amended to introduce progressive
measures aimed at communal harmony but if such changes are not implemented
to the letter and in the right spirit, the desired benefit would
not come about. What a shame! 'Letters
to the Editor' should be brief and to the point.
Address them to: 'Letters to the Editor, The Sunday Times, P.O.Box 1136, Colombo. Or e-mail to steditor@wijeya.lk or stfeat@wijeya.lk Please note that letters cannot be acknowledged or returned. |
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