Jun 10, 2003
Tube wells in the sky
There are many other synergies built into this idea.
For one, north India has more perennial rivers than the south which has a very long coastline.
Two, the wind powered electricity schemes having peaked out, this new application area will motivate windmill makers afresh to fund development of the idea.
Three, the cost of entry for wind-water-entrepreneurs would be lower than for wind-electricity ones.
Four, the market for water is vast unlike for power where there is usually just one buyer, --a sticky one at that-- the state.
Five, since water here is ‘produced’ and not tapped from traditional sources, opposition to ‘privatisation’ would not be there. [Incidentally, why not mandate that all bottled-water companies and soft-drink makers must ‘produce’ their own water?]
Six, as each plant is autonomous and self contained, it can be bought in a box and deployed along the coast to deliver water locally as needed.
Seven, the Government may safely rest its weary brow as the means of financing the idea of linking rivers and leave the idea of wind-water-farms to be financed entirely privately. Panchayats can become businesses too selling water to the cities.
Finally, though this idea may have come a little too late to prevent the Narmada dam, it may have a bearing on increasing its height further. Why can’t Gujarat get into wind-water-farms to supply the remoter parts now without water?
With suitable legislation and subsidies the idea can be taken off-shore and fresh water piped home or brought in barges. All this high-teching will be worth lavishing on water. Already in India milk is cheaper than bottled water. Soon petroleum maybe too.