The writing on the dam

The writing on the dam

Dams were technological cathedrals, harnessing triumphant forces of water, power and earthly fertility for the benefit of humankind.

What went wrong? Robin Wiseman explains.

The mega-dam is well on the way to being busted. It has had a short pre-eminence: all but seven of the world's hundred largest dams were built since World War Two. But people power is now bringing the era of big dam construction to a close.

Read the entire article.....click:

http://www.newint.org/issue207/dam.htm

BUSTWALLAH WROTE...........

Where r da Lepcha IAS officers? Where r da high powered Lepcha lawyers? (Also, where is da Lepcha representation on da Government side of this debate? Why r there no Lepcha State Secretaries or am I missing something? Shouldn’t there at least be a “token” Lepcha sitting on da other side of da table?)

As far as I can see it is da educational system here dat has FAILED. Do we even have one? Those of us who can afford it (this means those of us with da resources/connections to actually DO SOMETHING…) go to missionary schools. from da time we r born (basically) and know less about Sikkim than da tourists (be honest)…even if we do have a vague “love” for da land. How can we care about something that we don’t even learn about in LOCAL schools? (Interesting to note…it seems that da more wealthy you r da further away from Sikkim you send your kids…that’s faith in da “system” for ya…another interesting study…where do “common man” politicians send their kids to school?)

Education IS da problem. Who negotiates these HUGE contracts? Educated experts from London School of Economics, Harvard or St. Stephens or locals with NO mega-contract experience? With da huge amount of money we r talking about for these projects...it would seem that da Governement could AFFORD experts that could draw up SERIOUS tenders/contracts that truly BENEFIT Sikkim. You KNOW dat da Big Companies have Big Experts…and you know what they think when day see our tender/MOU/contracts? Day think “Bustiwallas! It’s time to FEAST!”Come on...you know how it's going to work...they won't repair da Dams for da last 15 years before they hand them over to us (if they survive da quakes) and we will inherit a crumbling disaster that we don't even know how to maintain.

In da meantime, our State will be filled with tens of thousands of migrant workers who have come in to build da dams bringing in violence, AIDS and rape. Someone look at da statistics of huge labor camps and what lovely things day bring to da communities nerst to them. God, can you imagine the Tatas on da road? Forget worrying about violence from da labor camps, we’ll be killing each other for VIP sirens.If these dams r such a good idea why don't WE build dam and take ALL da electricity and PROFIT from da beginning? Doesn’t Bhutan have just one Dam that makes TONS of Money? (I bet they got experts in to help.)

How much r we making on da current Sikkim dam by da way? We don’t hear much about THAT project. Shouldn’t we look at that as a precedent? How many “local youths” are employed there? Where r da statistics on this? (Gov. employees don’t count) Do YOU know anyone?Get REAL...da "local youths" that will be employed by da Hydro Projects will be COOLIES, DRIVERS, AND uneducated SECURITY GURARDS. And so will their children. Is that da FUTURE we want for OUR children…to carry cement? (The few who do profit off this will probably move down to Siliguri, which at that point would look like HEAVAN. Ironic, no?)

I bet da few that do work for da Hydro projects r Public Relations. I wonder why? (Why would anyone work for a Hydro Project when day might…just might, get a job with da government?)Sorry to be so depressing, but 22 Dams? Say “TA-TA” to TOURISM. Who’s going to come to da Hidden Land of Hydro Projects? Not any foreigner I’ve met. Can you imagine 22 projects resembling that disaster on da way from Siliguri? Has da Tourism Department commented on da impact these dams will have on what keeps most people from Sikkim in business? TOURISM.

Anyway, good luck! Get louder. Keep asking da bigger questions. Publish da good Blog Postings in da Newspaper, if they will have you...how many of us r “educated” enough to even navigate to this site anyway? If I was religious I’d pray for you…hell, I’ll pray for you anyway.You need it.

P.S. If you do post this on da main page…which I hope you, do please put in some pictures…God knows…no one will finish reading without pictures, not even all da Oxford/Harvard/St. Stephen’s educated people from Sikkim.

Bustiwallah

THIS (above)................or..................this...(below)...u choose.......