75th Anniversary |
Sharing memories
Judith Plummer Braeckman shares some of her wonderful memories of visiting hydropower projects around the world
Far right: Judith Plummer Braeckman is a fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership in England
Below left: View of the Brahmaputra river
Below right: Katse Dam is part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project
AS I LOOK BACK over a career which has involved many hydropower stations, I am amazed at the wonderful places that I have been lucky enough to visit. Sometimes we may be too busy remembering the slow pouring of concrete to remember those wonderful sunsets over the river; too traumatised by the flood damage to remember the snow on the Himalayas. Here are just a few of my memories. In India, I recall a serene evening spent in Jhakri, Himachal Pradesh, long past sunset, beneath a moonless sky. The stars, like scattered diamonds, adorned the vast expanse above. As moments passed, a realisation dawned upon us: amidst the celestial brilliance, certain luminous points should have been a towering hill. These luminosities, however, were not celestial bodies but the warm glow of kerosene lamps, marking the presence of families dwelling high upon the hillside. While I couldn’t help but admire their picturesque surroundings, my thoughts drifted to the practicalities of their daily lives, pondering the length of time it took for the children to trek to school each day. On a separate occasion, our journey took us by helicopter, skimming over the Brahmaputra River to reach Arunachal Pradesh. The scorched rugged hillsides bore witness to the local practice of slash- and-burn agriculture, a stark contrast to my colleague’s concerns over the potential impact of the hydro project on the pristine forests. Amidst our journey through the dense forest, we encountered the majestic mithun, a type of cow revered as the ultimate symbol of familial wealth in the region. Arunachal Pradesh is a mosaic of cultures, inhabited by various “scheduled tribes,” many of whom still maintain traditional ways of life. While engaging in discussions with local teenagers about the impending hydro project, their longing for modernity became evident when they interrupted the
“In the dock of Tiger Bay On the road to Mandalay From Bombay to Santa Fe Over the hills and far away”
picturesque view of their lives to inquire how soon they could have television. And finally: my very first experience with hydropower was in Lesotho, fondly dubbed the “Kingdom in the Sky” due to its lofty altitude, with no part of the country dipping below 1000 metres above sea level. It was a land of serene beauty and tranquil charm. However, my visit coincided with a disturbing incident when hijackers seized control of a bus ferrying passengers to witness the Pope’s visit to the mountainous realm. They breached the gates of the British High Commission, brandishing weapons, firing indiscriminately, though mercifully their shots found no targets. Their demands were for an audience with both the Pope and the King of Lesotho. After a tense standoff, the intervention of the South African military brought resolution to the crisis. Meanwhile, the Pope’s journey was beset by weather delays, forcing him to land in Johannesburg and take the lengthy road trip to Maseru, which at least meant that he missed the turmoil. In the aftermath, the American Ambassador broached the topic of fortifying security akin to the formidable defences of the American Embassy. In response, the British High Commissioner wryly remarked that they were indeed in search of a more robust “padlock”.
36 | May 2024 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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