Elsevier

Energy Policy

Volume 38, Issue 5, May 2010, Pages 2545-2551
Energy Policy

Emerging energy scenario in Western Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.01.002Get rights and content

Abstract

The GHGs emmited by using conventional energy sources rapid industrialization and development in hills, are contributing global warming, which has resulted in melting of glaciers located in the state at the rate of 0.3–20 m2 per year as per recent studies. The shrinking of glaciers, which are the main source of water of Himalayan rivers, can have an adverse impact on the future of hydro-power projects, many of which may become non-functional during next 40–50 years if the current trend of melting of glaciers continues and the other renewable energy sources are required to be tapped to supplement the declining hydro-electricity generation. The energy consumption for cooking, lighting and space heating in the Western Himalayan Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, is highest in the northern India. The fuelwood consumption constitutes about 52% of the total energy consumption of the state. About 2.7 h per person per trip in the rural areas, are spent for the collection of fuelwood mainly during winters. A number of options and potential of renewable energy sources for cooking, heating and lighting in the state have been discussed. The future policy interventions in the energy sector are also presented.

Introduction

Himachal Pradesh is a hilly state of India with 12 districts having geographical area of 55,673 km2. The population of the state is 6.08 million out of which 90.02% people live in rural areas as per 2001 census. The population growth rate during 1991–2001 was 17.54% against 20.79% during the previous decade 1981–1991, thus registering a downward trend in population growth by 3.25%. The total households in the state are 1.22 million (Census of India, 2001). The literacy rate in the state is 77.13%, which is the second highest in India (Himachal on the Move, 2006). The State of Himachal Pradesh is located in the range of North latitude 32°22′40ʺ to 33°12′40ʺ and East longitude 75°74′55ʺ–79°04′22ʺ (Fig. 1).

It has four agro-climatic zones – Low hills (1000–2000 m above msl) with an average rainfall of 110 cm and temperature between 5 and 38 °C; High hills: (2000–3500 m above msl) with an average rainfall of 280 cm, and temperature between −5 °C and 25 °C; Alpine zones; (above 3500 m above msl) with average rainfall 138 cm, average snowfall 150 cm and temperature ranges between −10 °C and 29 °C and Cold desert: covered by perennial snow 3–5 m with no vegetation, with an average rainfall of about 25 cm and temperature remains quite low upto −40 °C. The agro-climatic zones of Himachal Pradesh are shown in Fig. 2.

The air temperature in the state is 1 °C higher than in the year 1970 (hpenvis.nic.in). The average snowfall in the state decreased from 272.4 cm in the year 1976–1980 to 77.20 cm in the year 2001–2004. The number of sunshine days in the state is 250–300 in a year.

The conventional sources of energy, water, fuel are depleting due to a variety of factors like population growth, industrialization, development, metalling of roads, change in land use and living pattern. Availability of land is decreasing for agriculture and forestry purposes; indiscriminate deforestation is adversely affecting the land use pattern; and availability of water is decreasing. If renewable energy sources (RESs) are tapped, land can be more judiciously used for cultivation and afforestation.

Till the recent past, conventional resources were available in abundance, as such, necessity of finding alternative non-depleting sources was not felt to the extent it is being felt today because of indiscriminate use of these sources.

The people use wood, agro and forest waste, electricity, kerosene oil and LPG for cooking, room heating, water heating and lighting. The inefficient use of biomass in traditional devices has serious environmental effects and leads to high levels of indoor air pollution, adversely affecting health of women and children during cooking. Since the bio-fuel consumption in Himachal Pradesh is the highest (firewood: 1.31 kg/capita/day, crop residue: 0.14 kg/capita/day, dung cake: 0.22 kg/capita/day) as compared to other states in India (NCAER, 1985), the environmental effects of indoor air pollution are also higher in the state. Therefore, the need to integrate development activities with energy use is important.

A study conducted in the state revealed that a woman has to walk, on an average, about 30 km in a month to collect fuelwood in wood scarce areas of the state. About 2.7 h are spent per person per trip and 40 h per month per household for the collection of fuelwood mainly during winters (Parikh, 1986). Women who are engaged in cooking are primarily affected by exposure to high risks of indoor air pollution in the kitchen. Girl child below the age of 5 years and females in the age group of 30–60 years, who cook food and spent about 3–5 h inside a polluted kitchen, are at higher risk as compared to males in the same age group who spent only 1–2 h. The Government of India launched a National Programme on Improved Cookstoves, however, it was stopped a few years ago. In fact, improved kitchen design with provision of chimney is the only solution to avoid indoor smoke pollution due to wood cookstoves. It is also important to note that fuelwood is still the cheapest source of fuel in rural areas.

The state is rich in hydro power which can be judged from the fact that the identified potential of hydro-power in Himachal Pradesh is 21,000 MW out of which 6067 MW (28.9%) has been harnessed and projects with installed capacity of 4422 MW (21.6%) are under construction. About 94.8% houses in the state are electrified as compared to national average of 55.9%. This is one of the reasons not to promote other alternative non-depleting sources of energy for power generation like waste heat, biomass, solar and wind. The electricity for domestic purposes is provided at highly subsidized rates besides it is easily available to meet the requirements of 2079 industrial units and 663 small-scale industries in the state (Census of India, 2001). The income generated from exporting the electricity to other states is being provided as subsidy to the consumers in the state.

The state has now been able to increase its forest cover from 21.16% in 1991 to 25.78% in 2003 (Forest Survey of India, 1991–2003). It is attributable to the fact that the state government has imposed a ban on tree felling. 21.8% of the rural people have shifted from fuelwood to LPG, whereas 72.2% are still dependent on fuelwood (Census of India, 2001). LPG is again provided at highly subsidized rates, which have resulted in the substantial increase in the use of LPG in rural areas. Wood consumption constitutes about 52% of the total energy requirement of the state (Census of India, 2001). Now that the Government has banned the cutting of trees, it has created energy crisis in the state to alarming proportions although it is a national and global phenomenon today.

Food Corporation of India supplies 7000 tons of steam coke and the State Forest Department supplies 2000 tons soft coke annually at subsidized rates to meet the requirement of heating in the snow bound tribal regions of the state during winters. The calorific values of various fuels used are given in Table 1.

About 10% of the total households are having their own vehicles, which are contributing to the increase in the consumption of petrol, which is also subsidized. There are 0.225 million vehicles in the state (Census of India, 2001) and 12–13 thousand vehicles enter or leave the state every day during tourist season causing air pollution. Due to availability of easy credit more and more people are acquiring vehicles, which is bound to substantially increase the annual consumption of conventional energy i.e. oil, the sources of which are fast depleting.

According to a recent study, global warming is causing increased melting of Himalayan glaciers at the rate of 10–20 m2/year, which can have an adverse effect on the harnessing of vast potential of hydro-power in the state (H P Human Development Report, 2002). According to an estimate, some of the glaciers in Himalayan region namely Bara Shingri, Gagloo and Sona Pani, will vanish in the next 40 years (Climatic Change, 2003). A study conducted jointly by Department of Space, Government of India and HP State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, revealed that due to melting of glaciers, dozens of snow-lakes (38 in Satluj basin, 14 in Himachal-Himalayas and 24 in Tibet-Himachal) have come up, out of which 10 lakes are 0.1–1.17 km long. Studies have indicated that almost all 335 glaciers in the Sutlej, Beas and Spiti basins were receding. The deep cracks in the Chhota Shigri glacier indicate that it was receding by 6.8 m/year and the Trilokinath glacier was receding by 18 m reducing its size by 400 m during 1968–1996. Despite a severe winter in 1997, the 5-km-long Dokriani Bamak glacier shrunk by 20 m, while its average melting rate had been 16.5 m/year. Remote-sensing studies suggest that the glacier had retreated 578 m between 1990 and 2001. As compared to other glaciers in the Himalayas, this glacier is retreating at a higher rate possibly because the glacier is located in the lower altitude range. As the hydro power projects in this region are dependent on the melting water of these glaciers thus the power generation will be affected and if the current rate of melting of glaciers continues, the electricity generation will decline in the next 40 years and the state has to look for other renewable energy sources to supplement the declining hydro-electricity generation.

The total carbon emissions estimated from the state in the year 2000 was 660,000 t C. The present average carbon foot print of Himachal Pradesh is 0.4 t CO2 (0.11 t C) as compared to national average of 1.5 t CO2 (0.40 t C) (hpenvis.nic.in). HP has a potential to become carbon-neutral state only if the large renewable energy potential is effectively utilized besides lowering the GHG emissions, increasing forest cover, bio-fuel production and improving energy efficiency in industries and buildings.

In the ultimate analysis, the energy situation is bound to become grim if the subsidies on electricity, LPG and oil are withdrawn and the ban on cutting of trees continues. In order to avert the energy crisis, the state has to plan for harnessing the vast potential of biomass, solar and wind so as to lessen the dependence on conventional energy sources for power generation, cooking, heating and lighting applications. Therefore, it is imperative that a comprehensive energy policy for the state is formulated for rational use of existing energy sources and also to encourage the use renewable energy technologies.

Section snippets

Initiatives for exploitation of renewable energy sources in India

In India, the daily average solar energy incidence varies from 4–7 kWh/m2 depending upon the location. There are 250–300 sunny days in most parts of the country that can be utilized for cooking, heating and lighting resulting in saving of conventional energy.

Considering the importance of renewable energy sources, Government of India has established a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy [MNRE], which formulates and implements National Programme on Renewable Energy through State Energy Agencies.

Renewable energy promotion in Himachal Pradesh

In order to implement Renewable Energy Programmes, a State Energy Development Agency HIMURJA was established in the State of Himachal Pradesh. In the initial stages the State Rural Development Department and Agricultural Department implemented the Improved Cookstove Programme and Bio-gas programme respectively. HIMURJA implemented programmes of GOI like solar PV lights, solar cookers, solar water heaters, improved cookstoves, improved kerosene stoves, etc. These programmes were executed till

Need for renewable energy R&D centres

Continuous R&D and technological backup are essential for the successful implementation of the renewable energy programmes in the state for which MNRE provides funding. There is a need to carry out region-specific R&D in scientific institutions for hilly and cold regions. An expert committee constituted by MNRE has recommended the establishment of a Solar Energy Research Centre for Cold Regions in Himachal Pradesh, a few years ago but the Centre is yet to be established. However, the government

Discussion and followup

At the initial stages, the quality of RET could not be ensured due to non-standardization of specifications, resulting in production of poor quality systems. Besides, there is no technological backup provided by the state energy agencies to support region-specific R&D and to provide services for repairs/maintenance of these systems. There is greater need to carry out R&D to develop innovative low cost options as well. Incentives in the form of rebate in the income tax, house tax or lower

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