Published Paper Details:

Since time memorial man has been dependent on Mother Nature for his all sorts of needs. This dependency of human beings on natural resources is increasing day by day with the increase in population. This ever-growing assault on the limited resources is affecting the sustainability, especially the non-renewably energy resources. Conservation for sustainable future is need of the hour and led to the paradigm shift from the use of non-renewable energy resources to renewable energy resources. And use of water resources to meet out increasing energy requirement of any economy or society has increased to greater extent in past four decades and almost all rivers/rivulets in Himalayan region has been targeted and Ravi basin in Northern western Himalayas is not an expectation. Ravi being one of the five perennial rivers of Himachal Pradesh, as per official records the hydropower generation potential capacity of this basin has been assessed 2301.5 MW and out of which 1038.5 MW potential has been commissioned so far by installing four major power projects. There are more than 100 mini and micro hydroelectric power projects are in different stages of their execution. In approximately 20 kms long Saal valley there are 8 mini power projects are in different stages of their execution. As per the version of PRIs these projects are expected to affect the lives of thousands of villagers negatively as well as the physical environment of the area. Because of opposition of people as well as in view of natural disasters the viability of such power projects in north west Himalayas is being questioned. The disturbances in the lives of thousands of people and fragile physical environment can be saved by using the Dr. Anil Joshi�s model of converting water mills into electricity producing units.