Chapter 8 PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NON CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY

Transcription

1 Chapter 8 PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NON CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY The non- conventional sources of energy are very useful for the region like Gosaba block which is very much backward economically. But nowadays people all over the world are slowly getting interest to use this energy and make their daily life more comfortable. Yet there are some barriers to utilize these non- conventional sources of energy in large scale. The problems associated with non- conventional sources of energy are as follows:- The villagers in the study area deal with only four innovative items related to non- conventional sources of energy, these are: 1. Solar home lighting system 2. Biomass gasifier electricity 3. Biogas plant 4. Smoke arresting improved chullah The associated problems are therefore categorized into social and economic problems and sometimes there also appear some handling problems due to insufficient knowledge of the beneficiaries. The study area is a rural one by nature. Due to its geographical location it is turned into a remote region, hence the literacy rate is very poor. It is the cause for the lack of awareness among the villagers. Moreover this is a hazard prone area. The study area is often affected by cyclones and tidal waves. So the villages are forced to spend money for their temporary shelter. This is why they are not eager to invest any portion of their income to raise their standard of living. The main obstruction to introduce the non- conventional sources of energy in the study area is improper campaigning and motivation. The people or the institute who have the responsibility to make this non- conventional sources of energy popular, are not well informed about those innovative items and also misguided by other villagers. The economic problems also come on the way of these innovative items. The inhabitants of the study area are mostly dependent on agriculture and most of the area is under single crop cultivation. The standard of living of the villagers is very poor and large number of families is living below the poverty line. The study area is a backward region from every aspect. Most of the time, villagers are not informed about all those government facilities given to them in terms of policies, subsidies and the grant. The average income of most of the families is very small to install those innovative items though they are economical. Basically low rate of literacy has stopped them to think about the Page no: 323

2 positive sides of utilization of non- conventional sources of energy. To boost up the rural people and help the women of rural India for their economic independence the central government have introduced some training programme on which they can also get loan at very low rate of interest from some selected banks. In this development programme they have to work in groups. This project mainly deals with the female members of the low income families. This project is monitored by the BDOs and gram panchayats through some NGOs. But sometimes the people of those self help groups are cheated by their own group leader or some other else. This type of loss has stopped them to invest their limited resources for implementation of non- conventional sources of energy. If these types of problems are checked very strictly then the people will come forward to spend their earnings for nonconventional sources of energy which will not only make their life comfortable but also make the environment pollution free and save the natural resources. To give the villagers such assurances mass campaigning through media and by the local NGO s are quite helpful. Administration should be much more attentive and guide the villagers about their rights and always handle their problems sympathetically. This type of misguidance and cheating can be stopped by introducing the mass literacy programmes. Besides those aforesaid problems, there are some other handling problems for biogas plants and improved chullah, which are sometimes appeared as great obstructions. Problems Associated With Solar Home Lighting System Truly speaking solar energy is the most useful and user friendly gazette found as nonconventional sources of energy. It needs low maintenance cost in a year. But due to poor economic condition, the villagers cannot always purchase those panels even though these are distributed by the government through the panchayet and NGO s at a subsidized rate with the facility of installment scheme. The main problem faced by the beneficiaries is slow charging in rainy season, cloudy and foggy weather during winter. Due to remote geographical location of the study area the user s unable to repair their sets when it is required. Because the mechanics and the necessary parts of those delicate panels are not available everywhere in the island. That is why sometimes the beneficiaries do not repair their panels though it is a very important and cheap gazette to enlighten their house at night. Handling Problems Associated With Biogas Plant Due to lack of knowledge of the beneficiaries sometimes the dung become chunked at the chamber and reduces the amount of gas. Moreover this deficiency of knowledge also causes the leakage of gas for the loose stop cock. Page no: 324

3 Sometimes the users increase the water level more than the measured level and as a result the gas production is automatically reduced. The amount of gas present in the dung vary seasonally, in winter the same amount of dung produce less amount of gas than in summer. so in winter the beneficiaries who have run the plant with deficit no. of cattle have not got the said amount of gas every day, that s why they have to run their plants every alternate day. Besides this seasonal variation the amount of gas also vary from species to species. For e.g. the amount of a buffalo dung is more effective than the dung of two large cows. But the maintenance of buffalo is costlier than the cow. In spite of this, the scarcity of veterinary expert and clinic is a very crucial problem for the beneficiaries. The panchayet operated veterinary centers are not working properly. For this reason not a single household in the study area run biogas plant with buffalo dung. In other words the villagers do not use buffalo for the poor veterinary infrastructural facilities. Besides those handling problems the beneficiaries with gobar gas plants are also facing some other problems. These are as follows:- In present economic condition using of tractor in the agricultural field is cheaper than using of cow or bullock for ploughing the field. The farmers have taken those necessary machineries in rent for that particular time of farming, whereas they have to take proper care of their cattle throughout the year. The later is more expensive than using of rental machineries for farming. In spite of this due to the high level of salinity of soil the cattle fodder is not available throughout the year. For using the high productive seeds the amount of production increases which on the other hand causes a lot of problems for the cattle fodder, such as the straws of this hybrid food grains are very hard and rough as animal fodder. Using of chemical pesticide in the fields sometimes has harmful effect and acts as slow poison to the cattle. Though it is said from theoretical point of view that the dung of two cows is sufficient to run a thirty-five cubic feet biogas plant, but practically this is not happened. As a result the beneficiaries are also misguided in another aspect because at the time of installation of the biogas plants are also facilitated to install a solar home lighting system of 75 wattage at 90% subsidized rate though it is an impossible assurance. Problems Associated With Biomass Gasifier Meter This is the most modernized form of innovative item used in Non- conventional Sources of Energy. In this alternative energy system power is generated from fuel wood with a little support of diesel. The main sources of fuel wood are babla, tamarind, garan, shirish and khirish etc. Among those trees garan is the most profitable. The wood supply is never influenced by the middle man as this raw material is sufficient in the study area. The authority of the power station have bought the required fuel wood through tender whose cost is Rs.95/- per quintal. Page no: 325

4 This Biomass Gasifier power station of Gosaba was set up by WBREDA (West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency) to experiment the installation of non- conventional sources of energy in remote rural areas for the development of the geographically backward region, devoid of electricity in this era. Machineries are installed by United International and the Crompton Greaves. WBREDA handed over the charges of this project to the villagers and they have formed a cooperative society which is now taking care of this power station. For this project transfer, society has to pay Rs. 1lakh to WBREDA every month. Presently the society has near about 1200 subscribers. When this power station was in experimental stage and handled by WBREDA the subscribers were facilitated to install the meters at subsidized rate. But now the society has stopped to give subsidy in terms of cash, though they do not take the pole charges and the extra labour charges for more than a day s work. The initial deposit for the installation of the meter is Rs. 900/- which includes admission fee (Rs.350/-), share capital (Rs. 100/-), service connection charge (Rs.39/-), security deposit (Rs.300/-) and supervision charge (Rs.100/-). Besides, these charges the subscribers have to bear the other equipment charges and thus the charges reach up to Rs. 2000/-. There is a very crucial allegation against the society that they use the mangrove forest to supply the fuel wood for the gasifier machineries of the power station. Though the society has strongly denied this allegation and demand that they do not use that rare flora, more over they have taken necessary steps to save this unique biosphere. The society has also confessed that at the early stage they do not care for the afforestation, but now they are getting interest in afforestation programme. They are today realized the necessity of energy plantation. The society mainly uses the thin branches and twigs of the trees as fuel wood. The outer skins and thinner twigs are again selling in the market. The society has been strictly instructed by WBREDA not to open the machineries under any circumstances. If there are any mechanical problem the society has to inform WBREDA first. Then WBREDA will contact the installing agency, who will come from Gujarat to repair. This entire procedure is very lengthy and it hampers the production. But the society has to obey the rules and regulations decided by WBREDA. According to the agency, for getting better outcome, the machines should be re installed after every three to four year, though WBREDA is not taking any positive step to change the old machineries. Instead of reinstallation WBREDA suggest the society to renovate the old machineries. But after the renovation the machines need more fuel to work on, which decrease the profit margin of the society. Page no: 326

5 Plate14 & 15: : Delicate machineries of biomass gasifier power station located at Arampur village in Gosaba In normal condition, the machines require wood and diesel in 80:20 ratios. But after the renovation of the old machineries this ratio will be 30:70. Sometimes there is some wastage at the time of loading and unloading of the fossil fuel, which on the other hand decreases the profit level of the society. This Biomass Gasifier Power Station of Gosaba has five machines (each has 100 KW capacities) with 500 KW total capacity of power generation. The power station has required running one machine at day time. But during summer they need to run two machines at day time and three to four at night. Sometimes the society needs to run another machine just to supply only10 KW electricity. Under such condition the machine is run by only diesel and this is a very critical problem to the society. Gasifier needs mainly heavy woods, because light woods are required in more quantity. The machines require moisture free dry wood, for which this wood is considered as foot loose material. The subscribers are quite pleased with the regularity and maintenance service of the society. The power station never stops their supply unless there is heavy cyclonic weather or rainfall. Often there is power cut due to fall of trees in stormy weather. The society has a rule to charge penalty to the owner of that fallen tree and that is up to Rs. 3000/- for the damage of the power lines and the poles. Page no: 327

6 The purchase rate of the electricity is quite high than the other conventional electricity sources like thermal or hydel power found in the mainland of the state. The rate is Rs.4/- per unit for domestic and Rs. 6/- per unit for commercial purposes. This high purchase rate is an acute problem for the subscribers. In spite of this the fixed time of the power supply makes the subscribers quite unhappy. The society is unable to supply the electricity for 24 hours. The power supply has started at 10 am and continues up to 12 at night, because of the society s limited capacity and weak infrastructure. But the power house gladly arranges provisional overnight power supply in case of special occasions like festivals, international sports tournaments, any kind of natural hazards etc. Handling Problems Associated With Smoke Arresting Improved Chullah This type of innovative item is also facing some handling problems for the lack of proper knowledge about its handling. These smoke arresting improved chullahs are needed proper and regular cleaning and maintenances. Because without proper caring smoke cannot be emitted completely to the outside of kitchen. Due to improper maintenance the smoke arresting improved chullahs loose their character of innovativeness. These smoke arresting improved chullahs are very useful if these are maintained daily and thoroughly. According to the persons or agencies who install and repair this innovative item are referred it as more hygienic, scientific, time saving for cooking. At the same time it is environment friendly because it requires less amount of fuel wood than non smoke arresting traditional chullah to produce same amount of energy. From the above discussion it can be concluded that non-conventional sources of energy is one of the most important medium for the development of the study area. At the time of intensive household survey it is found that villagers are quite concerned about the usefulness of nonconventional sources of energy. But because of those aforesaid problems villagers are not coming forward to install these innovative items. During the intensive field survey it is observed that villagers are not satisfied with the installation of innovative items. In most of the cases problem arise because the villagers do not have sufficient knowledge about maintenance of these innovative items. Page no: 328