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Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:32,333 --> 00:00:34,500 [sprightly music] 4 00:00:47,708 --> 00:00:49,166 -He is here. -Hello. 5 00:00:49,291 --> 00:00:50,500 [woman] Hello. 6 00:00:50,666 --> 00:00:52,291 -Hello, Naseer. -Hi. You are Valli? 7 00:00:52,375 --> 00:00:53,208 -Yes. -Hi. 8 00:00:53,291 --> 00:00:54,250 -[man] Hi. -And Marthand? 9 00:00:54,458 --> 00:00:56,041 -[Valli] Good to meet you. -[Naseer] Hi, nice to meet you. 10 00:00:56,125 --> 00:00:58,416 [clears throat] So, what have you got for me? 11 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:00,791 So, um... [in Hindi] This is our script. 12 00:01:00,875 --> 00:01:04,166 [in English] Um, the film is about big energy projects 13 00:01:04,250 --> 00:01:05,750 and their impact on-- 14 00:01:05,833 --> 00:01:08,083 "SuryaGanga." 15 00:01:09,625 --> 00:01:12,750 The story on the epic conflict between India's... 16 00:01:12,875 --> 00:01:15,791 land, energy, water, and people. 17 00:01:16,583 --> 00:01:17,791 [paper rustles] 18 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,250 [in Hindi] What is this? 19 00:01:24,208 --> 00:01:29,000 Rivers... people... What has this got to do with energy? 20 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,166 So, uh... 21 00:01:31,250 --> 00:01:34,583 [in Hindi] ...different energy sources have different impacts 22 00:01:34,666 --> 00:01:35,875 on the environment and people... 23 00:01:35,958 --> 00:01:37,333 -Oh, come on. -And that is-- 24 00:01:37,416 --> 00:01:39,583 This is not the way to tell a story. 25 00:01:40,250 --> 00:01:42,000 [in Hindi] Huh! Is this a way to tell a story? 26 00:01:42,083 --> 00:01:45,375 [in English] Where's the glory? Where is India's growth story? 27 00:01:45,458 --> 00:01:46,625 -[in Hindi] But... -No, no, no. 28 00:01:46,708 --> 00:01:48,875 We are talking about all of that as well, you know. 29 00:01:48,958 --> 00:01:53,041 -Industrial growth and... -Yes, yes... You environmentalists! 30 00:01:53,208 --> 00:01:54,125 [in Hindi] I know what you'll say. 31 00:01:54,208 --> 00:01:56,125 "Don't build this, don't build that. 32 00:01:56,500 --> 00:01:58,000 [in English] Go green." 33 00:01:58,166 --> 00:02:01,666 No, no, sorry. This is not for me. I'm not doing this. 34 00:02:03,083 --> 00:02:05,166 [sprightly music] 35 00:02:06,333 --> 00:02:07,708 [Naseer] What's all this? 36 00:02:07,958 --> 00:02:09,125 -[Valli, in Hindi] This? -Yeah. 37 00:02:09,375 --> 00:02:10,291 It's a hard drive. 38 00:02:10,375 --> 00:02:14,291 [Valli, in English] This is where we have... shot and cut the footage so far. 39 00:02:16,166 --> 00:02:17,791 [Valli, in Hindi] Do you want to watch it? 40 00:02:19,250 --> 00:02:21,083 [in Hindi] Okay, let's watch it. 41 00:02:29,625 --> 00:02:32,583 [wind blowing] 42 00:02:37,833 --> 00:02:40,458 [reflective music] 43 00:02:48,166 --> 00:02:50,458 [Valli] It is easy to fall in love with a river. 44 00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:52,916 Any river. 45 00:02:54,708 --> 00:02:55,625 This is Ganga. 46 00:02:55,708 --> 00:02:58,125 [reflective music] 47 00:03:00,250 --> 00:03:03,666 [Valli] Years ago, my family and I used to holiday by this river 48 00:03:03,750 --> 00:03:05,750 at the foothills of the Himalayas. 49 00:03:06,791 --> 00:03:10,291 [Valli] One evening, sitting on the ghats my mother had said 50 00:03:10,375 --> 00:03:12,708 that she had never dreamt of being by this river, 51 00:03:12,791 --> 00:03:16,083 and that this was one of the most tranquil times of her life. 52 00:03:16,166 --> 00:03:17,833 [reflective music continues] 53 00:03:18,958 --> 00:03:20,416 [kid singing] ♪E-I-E-I-O ♪ 54 00:03:20,791 --> 00:03:23,500 ♪ And on that farm he had a Anu. ♪ 55 00:03:23,583 --> 00:03:25,666 ♪ E-I-E-I-O ♪ 56 00:03:25,750 --> 00:03:27,833 -♪ With a... ♪ -[Valli] With a? 57 00:03:28,041 --> 00:03:31,541 [Valli] As my child grew, it was time for her to experience Ganga, 58 00:03:31,625 --> 00:03:34,291 about which she had heard so many stories. 59 00:03:34,375 --> 00:03:36,541 [Valli] Only... we couldn’t find the river. 60 00:03:37,166 --> 00:03:41,125 We learnt that a number of hydroelectric dams had been built upstream 61 00:03:41,208 --> 00:03:44,250 and so, for most part of the year, up in the Himalayas, 62 00:03:44,333 --> 00:03:48,250 the River Ganga, along with her many tributaries didn’t flow anymore. 63 00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:52,000 [reflective music] 64 00:03:52,416 --> 00:03:54,083 [Valli] The little one had questions. 65 00:03:54,500 --> 00:03:56,666 [kid] You said it is a furious river. 66 00:03:58,208 --> 00:04:00,208 Where did all the water go? 67 00:04:00,750 --> 00:04:04,375 And if the river is not there, why read stories about it? 68 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:06,291 [Valli] We had to get some answers. 69 00:04:06,583 --> 00:04:08,083 So my brother Marthand and I 70 00:04:08,166 --> 00:04:11,375 set out to find what was really going on and why. 71 00:04:11,458 --> 00:04:12,875 [tires screech] 72 00:04:16,166 --> 00:04:20,375 [Himanshu] See, India's hydropower accelerated in 1990s. 73 00:04:21,083 --> 00:04:25,916 And after that it has continued to maintain high growth rate. 74 00:04:27,666 --> 00:04:29,000 [Himanshu] And in that era 75 00:04:29,083 --> 00:04:31,583 there were demands for more and more resources, 76 00:04:31,666 --> 00:04:33,291 including electricity. 77 00:04:33,375 --> 00:04:38,000 So, there was a push for more hydropower projects. 78 00:04:38,083 --> 00:04:42,250 It started at that time, but the movement really accelerated 79 00:04:42,333 --> 00:04:45,083 starting from the initial years of this millennium. 80 00:04:46,541 --> 00:04:48,625 The central government was an engine 81 00:04:48,708 --> 00:04:51,250 for this kind of push for big hydro. 82 00:04:51,375 --> 00:04:53,625 They wanted to set up, within a time frame 83 00:04:53,708 --> 00:04:55,791 50,000 megawatts of hydropower. 84 00:04:56,125 --> 00:04:58,541 [kid] Look, Mumma, so many rivers! 85 00:04:59,125 --> 00:05:01,250 [Valli] The Indian subcontinent covers an area 86 00:05:01,333 --> 00:05:04,333 of over 3.2 million square kilometers. 87 00:05:04,416 --> 00:05:08,875 Barring a chunk of dry desert in the west, this massive landmass is lush 88 00:05:08,958 --> 00:05:11,291 with hundreds of big and small rivers. 89 00:05:11,625 --> 00:05:13,333 Three major river systems 90 00:05:13,416 --> 00:05:16,083 the Indus, the Brahmaputra, and the Ganga 91 00:05:16,166 --> 00:05:17,916 begin up here, in the Himalayas. 92 00:05:18,125 --> 00:05:20,333 [upbeat music] 93 00:05:53,583 --> 00:05:54,666 [music continues] 94 00:06:26,083 --> 00:06:27,208 [music ends] 95 00:06:30,208 --> 00:06:33,583 [Valli] In 2013, at the time we began making this film, 96 00:06:33,666 --> 00:06:36,333 there was no clear defined number of hydropower dams 97 00:06:36,416 --> 00:06:37,958 planned on the Ganga river basin. 98 00:06:38,041 --> 00:06:40,708 [Himanshu] Whatever figures are available, one can say that 99 00:06:40,791 --> 00:06:45,458 anything between 80 to about 600 projects 100 00:06:45,583 --> 00:06:46,958 are likely to be taken up. 101 00:06:47,625 --> 00:06:50,583 [Valli] Already known to be one of the most polluted rivers, 102 00:06:50,750 --> 00:06:54,916 now, its basin could become one of the densest dam sites on the planet. 103 00:06:55,083 --> 00:06:56,708 [water flowing] 104 00:07:00,083 --> 00:07:01,625 [Valli] So how is a dam made? 105 00:07:01,708 --> 00:07:02,583 [man 1, in Hindi] Make some tea, brother. 106 00:07:02,750 --> 00:07:04,583 [man 1, in Hindi] And add some ginger. 107 00:07:04,791 --> 00:07:07,416 [Valli, in English] Is it just a wall with some machinery attached? 108 00:07:07,875 --> 00:07:09,250 How does it work? 109 00:07:09,375 --> 00:07:11,083 [man 1, in Hindi] Add more sugar. 110 00:07:11,250 --> 00:07:13,125 [Valli, in English] And what do they do with the water? 111 00:07:14,958 --> 00:07:16,000 Our next stops, 112 00:07:16,083 --> 00:07:19,333 one to Maneri Bhali, a 90-megawatt hydropower dam, 113 00:07:19,416 --> 00:07:21,833 and second to one of the country's biggest 114 00:07:21,916 --> 00:07:24,333 and most experienced dam building companies. 115 00:07:24,416 --> 00:07:26,208 [Valli] Whoa! Nice! 116 00:07:26,291 --> 00:07:28,458 [engineer] Basically, the hydropower project is... 117 00:07:28,583 --> 00:07:32,458 We are converting hydro energy into power. 118 00:07:32,791 --> 00:07:35,708 And potential energy into electricity. 119 00:07:35,791 --> 00:07:37,166 [dam official, in Hindi] Let me show it to you. 120 00:07:37,666 --> 00:07:39,791 Just film this, okay? 121 00:07:40,416 --> 00:07:41,666 So... [clears throat] 122 00:07:41,750 --> 00:07:44,208 -I have to tell you how it works, right? -[Valli] Very basic. 123 00:07:44,291 --> 00:07:45,666 [dam official, in English] Very basic. Okay. 124 00:07:45,750 --> 00:07:48,166 Suppose, these are the mountains... 125 00:07:50,125 --> 00:07:52,250 From here, the river originates. 126 00:07:55,666 --> 00:07:58,916 [Valli] The dam is a wall built across the river. 127 00:08:01,958 --> 00:08:05,791 As the river flows into the dam wall, the water level rises. 128 00:08:06,875 --> 00:08:09,500 The dam has gates to control this water level. 129 00:08:10,083 --> 00:08:13,291 A desilting chamber is built before the dam wall. 130 00:08:13,750 --> 00:08:16,166 [music continues] 131 00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:18,708 A tunnel is dug out from this chamber. 132 00:08:18,791 --> 00:08:22,375 [engineer, in Hindi] This is the intake of the tunnel during the construction. 133 00:08:22,458 --> 00:08:26,500 This won't be visible later. The construction is ongoing. 134 00:08:26,583 --> 00:08:28,458 -[music continues] -[both chatter] 135 00:08:28,916 --> 00:08:31,958 [Valli, in Hindi] So, it will be filled with water. 136 00:08:32,041 --> 00:08:33,791 [engineer] Yes. 137 00:08:34,041 --> 00:08:35,625 [engineer] This is the tunnel. 138 00:08:36,083 --> 00:08:37,791 [Valli] This is also under construction? 139 00:08:37,875 --> 00:08:39,708 [engineer] Yes, and you won't be able to see it later. 140 00:08:39,791 --> 00:08:42,166 [engineer 2] Because it will be filled with water. 141 00:08:42,250 --> 00:08:44,416 [engineer 1] If there is a maintenance issue... 142 00:08:44,791 --> 00:08:46,291 [engineer 1, in English] Which nobody will like... 143 00:08:46,375 --> 00:08:47,250 [Valli] Hmm. 144 00:08:47,750 --> 00:08:49,125 [engineer] Well... 145 00:08:49,416 --> 00:08:53,291 civil efforts are taken care of in these designs. 146 00:08:53,916 --> 00:08:55,291 [engineer 1, in Hindi] These are the tunnels. 147 00:08:55,666 --> 00:08:56,708 [Valli] Wow! 148 00:08:57,250 --> 00:08:58,833 What a great idea! 149 00:08:59,208 --> 00:09:01,041 [in Hindi] The Ganges in the tunnel! 150 00:09:01,291 --> 00:09:02,875 Who will dare pollute it? 151 00:09:04,625 --> 00:09:05,541 [in Hindi] Meaning? 152 00:09:05,625 --> 00:09:08,666 [in English] Who will go into a tunnel full of water to shit? 153 00:09:09,208 --> 00:09:10,041 Hmm? 154 00:09:10,125 --> 00:09:11,291 It's a great idea. 155 00:09:11,375 --> 00:09:12,541 [in Hindi] In my opinion, 156 00:09:12,916 --> 00:09:14,625 we should tunnel it all the way. 157 00:09:14,833 --> 00:09:18,791 All the rivers of this country should be tunneled. 158 00:09:19,416 --> 00:09:20,375 [in English] "No shit." 159 00:09:20,458 --> 00:09:21,958 [in Hindi] "Protect it." 160 00:09:23,250 --> 00:09:25,416 See, I can also write. Not bad, right? 161 00:09:25,583 --> 00:09:27,333 [in English] "No shit." [in Hindi] "Protect it." 162 00:09:27,416 --> 00:09:29,291 -[Valli laughs] -You can borrow it, if you like. 163 00:09:29,375 --> 00:09:30,375 Sure. 164 00:09:30,958 --> 00:09:32,416 [music continues] 165 00:09:32,666 --> 00:09:35,208 [Valli] A second tunnel is blasted through the mountains 166 00:09:35,333 --> 00:09:37,708 taking almost all the river water inside it, 167 00:09:37,791 --> 00:09:39,458 down towards the powerhouse. 168 00:09:41,291 --> 00:09:43,541 At Maneri Bhali Dam where we were, 169 00:09:43,666 --> 00:09:48,666 the river flows through this dark tunnel within the mountains for 8.6 kilometers, 170 00:09:48,750 --> 00:09:50,708 to reach the powerhouse downstream. 171 00:09:50,791 --> 00:09:53,541 [car engine revving] 172 00:09:55,083 --> 00:09:58,916 [Valli] Outside, the riverbed is left almost dry throughout. 173 00:09:59,791 --> 00:10:04,291 The turbines in the powerhouse use the gushing water to generate electricity 174 00:10:04,375 --> 00:10:06,458 which is then fed into the main grid. 175 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,916 [Valli] Job done, the water is allowed to flow back onto the riverbed. 176 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,125 [dam official] This is all we have. 177 00:10:14,500 --> 00:10:18,833 [Valli] If the plan of 80 to 600 big and small dams was carried out, 178 00:10:18,916 --> 00:10:21,791 all densely packed like cars in a traffic jam, 179 00:10:21,875 --> 00:10:24,625 most of Ganga's waters would be within tunnels 180 00:10:24,708 --> 00:10:27,875 while outside the river itself would remain dry. 181 00:10:28,791 --> 00:10:32,375 But for now, we had found where our river had disappeared. 182 00:10:35,708 --> 00:10:37,041 [in Hindi] Wow! 183 00:10:38,541 --> 00:10:39,833 So big. 184 00:10:43,458 --> 00:10:45,458 [in English] You know, Jawaharlal Nehru once said 185 00:10:45,750 --> 00:10:48,875 "Indiana Dams are the Temples of Doom." 186 00:10:50,375 --> 00:10:54,500 [Valli] He said modernity. "Dams in India are temples of modernity." 187 00:10:55,916 --> 00:10:58,041 Doom, modernity... It's the same thing. 188 00:10:59,500 --> 00:11:01,833 We did find some issues though. 189 00:11:02,375 --> 00:11:03,500 [Naseer] What issues? 190 00:11:03,666 --> 00:11:04,541 Let's see. 191 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:10,791 [song playing over the car stereo] 192 00:11:14,583 --> 00:11:18,708 [Bijna, in Hindi] Ever since we heard that a dam was being built, 193 00:11:18,791 --> 00:11:23,125 [Bijna] people in my village wondered what it would be like 194 00:11:23,208 --> 00:11:24,583 [Bijna] so we all went to see it. 195 00:11:25,041 --> 00:11:28,833 [Bijna] And when we went and saw 196 00:11:28,916 --> 00:11:32,583 trolleys and buckets pulling concrete up and down 197 00:11:33,041 --> 00:11:35,083 [Bijna] we were wondering what's going on. 198 00:11:35,166 --> 00:11:37,583 When the destruction began... 199 00:11:37,666 --> 00:11:40,416 [Valli] At that time did you think that the dam will benefit you as well? 200 00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:47,166 Yes. We thought there is a lot of work here. Maybe, we will get jobs. 201 00:11:47,416 --> 00:11:48,750 Maybe, something good will happen. 202 00:11:48,833 --> 00:11:56,458 [Himalayan folk song about King of Snakes] 203 00:11:57,333 --> 00:12:01,083 [Valli, in English] A public hearing is a process that is part of the due diligence 204 00:12:01,166 --> 00:12:06,208 [Valli] that every dam building authority, private or government needs to do by law. 205 00:12:06,333 --> 00:12:10,750 [in Hindi] Ideally, they should publish in the local newspapers in the local language 206 00:12:10,833 --> 00:12:13,958 that we are talking about this project in a public hearing. 207 00:12:14,291 --> 00:12:16,375 In the public hearing, 208 00:12:16,458 --> 00:12:20,833 you lay down the details of the entire project in front of the public. 209 00:12:20,958 --> 00:12:23,125 Saying that we are coming into your territory 210 00:12:23,208 --> 00:12:24,833 [Mallika] and we will be doing all this work. 211 00:12:24,916 --> 00:12:26,375 [Mallika] This is what the government is planning. 212 00:12:26,458 --> 00:12:29,291 [Mallika] These are the pros of the project and these are the cons. 213 00:12:29,708 --> 00:12:31,666 [Mallika] Speak in their language and help them understand. 214 00:12:31,750 --> 00:12:33,333 [Mallika] And then get their approval. 215 00:12:33,416 --> 00:12:37,625 There was an incident that happened near Munshiari 216 00:12:37,791 --> 00:12:43,083 for a public hearing, the company gathered the villagers saying... 217 00:12:43,166 --> 00:12:45,250 we are organizing a feast. 218 00:12:45,333 --> 00:12:47,541 And you are all welcome to come and have food. 219 00:12:48,041 --> 00:12:50,500 Then they said, okay now it is all over. 220 00:12:50,583 --> 00:12:53,250 The feast is all over. 221 00:12:53,333 --> 00:12:55,750 We have to reimburse the amount from our company. 222 00:12:55,833 --> 00:12:58,291 Please sign on this paper and confirm your presence. 223 00:12:58,458 --> 00:13:00,000 And then they furnished that document 224 00:13:00,083 --> 00:13:02,166 saying that so many people attended our public hearing. 225 00:13:02,750 --> 00:13:07,333 [in English] One honest EIA One honest EIA of hydro power project 226 00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:09,125 -[Valli] None? -Doesn't exist. 227 00:13:09,375 --> 00:13:11,000 -[Valli] In all these years? -Yeah. 228 00:13:11,083 --> 00:13:13,333 You show me one honest EIA. 229 00:13:15,666 --> 00:13:18,125 You show me an EIA and I will show you what is the problem. 230 00:13:18,208 --> 00:13:21,500 Fundamental problems, not just tinkering here and there. 231 00:13:22,041 --> 00:13:23,500 [car engine] 232 00:13:24,625 --> 00:13:25,833 [Parineeta] Unfortunately, the way 233 00:13:25,916 --> 00:13:28,250 the entire dam discourse is happening in the country, 234 00:13:28,333 --> 00:13:33,291 which has no place for the affected people to actually voice their concerns, 235 00:13:33,583 --> 00:13:34,833 not just voice their concerns 236 00:13:34,958 --> 00:13:39,291 but be at the decision-making table about their resources. 237 00:13:39,833 --> 00:13:41,791 Till the time that's not going to happen, 238 00:13:43,500 --> 00:13:46,958 people stopping dams is going to be the way out. 239 00:13:47,291 --> 00:13:48,375 [Valli] Or the courts. 240 00:13:48,458 --> 00:13:49,750 Or the courts. 241 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,416 And that's... that's a very bad thing because... 242 00:13:53,541 --> 00:13:56,958 this is confrontation at its highest. 243 00:13:57,541 --> 00:14:00,416 And it's especially bad when this confrontation 244 00:14:00,500 --> 00:14:02,458 actually has to happen with your own government. 245 00:14:02,791 --> 00:14:03,833 [farmer] Hiya! 246 00:14:03,916 --> 00:14:05,125 [Marthand, in Hindi] Is there shortage of water here? 247 00:14:05,291 --> 00:14:07,000 [farmer, in Hindi] Yes, water is a problem. 248 00:14:07,083 --> 00:14:08,833 -[Marthand] No water. -[Farmer] There is no water. 249 00:14:08,916 --> 00:14:11,041 [Marthand] So what are you going to sow here? 250 00:14:11,125 --> 00:14:12,958 [farmer] We will sow paddy here. 251 00:14:13,041 --> 00:14:14,000 [Marthand] And where will the water come from? 252 00:14:14,166 --> 00:14:16,458 -[farmer] It's dry. -[Marthand] Oh, it is dry. 253 00:14:17,791 --> 00:14:18,708 [Marthand] Will it grow if it is dry? 254 00:14:18,791 --> 00:14:20,666 Yes, if it rains the harvest will be good. 255 00:14:20,750 --> 00:14:22,208 [Marthand] Yes. The harvest will be good. 256 00:14:22,375 --> 00:14:24,833 Otherwise, it will be dry. 257 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,291 [Marthand] And the irrigated land you had... 258 00:14:27,375 --> 00:14:28,666 That is all barren now. 259 00:14:28,750 --> 00:14:30,416 [Marthand] How did it become barren? [farmer] There is no water. 260 00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:33,958 [Marthand] Where did all the water go? [farmer] The water dried up. 261 00:14:34,708 --> 00:14:38,541 It must have gone because of the dam. Where else will it go? 262 00:14:38,791 --> 00:14:41,750 [Marthand] How much water did you get in the past? 263 00:14:41,833 --> 00:14:48,250 It used to be a lot. We used to irrigate all our farmland with it. 264 00:14:48,958 --> 00:14:52,333 [Bijna, in Hindi] Now we will not let any more dams be made. 265 00:14:53,208 --> 00:14:57,916 2-3 years ago they came and said, "give us your farms." 266 00:14:58,208 --> 00:15:03,208 We said no matter what you are after we will not give our farms to anyone. 267 00:15:03,875 --> 00:15:06,750 It doesn't matter if we have one farm or two. 268 00:15:06,833 --> 00:15:09,666 No matter what money you give... how many years will money last? 269 00:15:11,583 --> 00:15:15,208 Two years, four years or five years... but our farms will not go anywhere. 270 00:15:15,291 --> 00:15:18,750 Our farms will support our children and our grandchildren. 271 00:15:18,833 --> 00:15:22,416 Our farms will not go anywhere. Leave our farms alone. 272 00:15:24,833 --> 00:15:27,416 [Valli, in English] It isn't just farming that gets affected. 273 00:15:27,625 --> 00:15:32,166 [Valli] When a river disappears, it marks the beginning of the end of the culture 274 00:15:32,250 --> 00:15:35,833 [Valli] the ethos, the very identity of the people living around it. 275 00:15:37,416 --> 00:15:39,125 [Valli] We were filming in January 276 00:15:39,208 --> 00:15:43,125 [Valli] just days after an important and a most beautifully celebrated 277 00:15:43,291 --> 00:15:46,041 harvest festival called Makar Sankranti. 278 00:15:47,625 --> 00:15:49,458 [village women laughing] 279 00:15:49,541 --> 00:15:50,750 [melancholic music] 280 00:15:50,833 --> 00:15:54,708 [Shiela, in Hindi] Traditionally, we get up at four in the morning, bathe, pray... 281 00:15:54,791 --> 00:15:58,291 [Shiela] and head down to the Ganges for a dip. 282 00:15:58,375 --> 00:16:01,500 All the women of the village would go. 283 00:16:01,875 --> 00:16:04,208 We used to dip ourselves fully in the river. 284 00:16:04,333 --> 00:16:10,625 Some would dip three times, some five or twelve. 285 00:16:10,708 --> 00:16:15,291 Last year, they released at least some water. 286 00:16:15,416 --> 00:16:16,791 But this time, they didn't release it at all. 287 00:16:16,916 --> 00:16:20,166 This time, they did not release even a drop of water of Ganga. 288 00:16:20,541 --> 00:16:22,708 We went searching for water. 289 00:16:22,791 --> 00:16:24,125 There was no water. 290 00:16:24,208 --> 00:16:26,458 We just hit rock and more rock. 291 00:16:28,375 --> 00:16:29,791 What should we do? 292 00:16:34,083 --> 00:16:37,458 Our traditions are 293 00:16:37,791 --> 00:16:41,250 vanishing before our eyes. 294 00:16:42,791 --> 00:16:44,666 [Valli, in English] Over the centuries, we have made 295 00:16:44,750 --> 00:16:47,750 the river Ganga embrace our dead rather intimately. 296 00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:51,125 [Valli] It is an age-old tradition to cremate bodies 297 00:16:51,208 --> 00:16:53,500 and immerse the ashes in her waters. 298 00:16:53,708 --> 00:16:56,000 [Valli] So over millennia millions of people 299 00:16:56,083 --> 00:16:59,541 from across the country have come to this river to do just that. 300 00:17:00,666 --> 00:17:04,708 [Valli] Today, downstream of a dam when a person dies 301 00:17:04,791 --> 00:17:08,750 [Valli] the villagers have to write to the dam authorities to release some water 302 00:17:08,833 --> 00:17:10,916 [Valli] so they can cremate their dead. 303 00:17:11,208 --> 00:17:14,958 [Valli] Because, it is the dam company that holds the power to control the water. 304 00:17:15,041 --> 00:17:17,500 [Bharat, in Hindi] No, they don't release the river. They don't listen. 305 00:17:17,791 --> 00:17:19,291 [Bharat] No, they don't release the river. 306 00:17:19,375 --> 00:17:24,291 When there are deaths, 307 00:17:24,375 --> 00:17:27,500 we write letters to them. 308 00:17:27,833 --> 00:17:29,458 No, they don't release the river. 309 00:17:30,583 --> 00:17:32,583 [kid chatters] 310 00:17:34,541 --> 00:17:38,166 [Valli, in English] On the day we left, an old woman from the village, died. 311 00:17:38,250 --> 00:17:40,333 [folk drums] 312 00:17:40,958 --> 00:17:43,541 [Valli] The villagers cremated her by the Ganga. 313 00:17:44,125 --> 00:17:45,875 [Valli] No water was released. 314 00:17:46,166 --> 00:17:50,333 [drums cymbals] 315 00:17:54,291 --> 00:17:56,416 [Parineeta, in English] Listen, I'm going to write about this judgment. 316 00:17:56,500 --> 00:17:57,916 Because you know it's just... 317 00:17:58,000 --> 00:17:59,708 so fantastic, it's just amazing. 318 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,791 And I hope it sets precedences throughout the country, it will. 319 00:18:03,916 --> 00:18:07,041 [Valli, in English] We learnt that the Ganga river basin wasn't alone. 320 00:18:07,125 --> 00:18:10,791 [Valli] The rivers flowing in northeastern India were meeting a similar fate, 321 00:18:10,875 --> 00:18:12,250 if not more dramatic. 322 00:18:12,333 --> 00:18:14,791 [Parineeta] This is the Brahmaputra river system 323 00:18:14,875 --> 00:18:19,083 with three of its important tributaries which come together 324 00:18:19,166 --> 00:18:22,416 to form the Brahmaputra in Assam in Dibru Saikhowa National Park. 325 00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:25,583 [Parineeta] One is the Lohit river system. There is the Dibang river system. 326 00:18:25,708 --> 00:18:27,583 There is the Siang river system. 327 00:18:27,666 --> 00:18:32,166 Let's take an example of Dibang Valley or the Siang District... 328 00:18:32,416 --> 00:18:34,666 where you have the lower Siang Dam coming up. 329 00:18:34,875 --> 00:18:39,125 Uh, just downstream is a very, very beautiful sanctuary. 330 00:18:39,291 --> 00:18:40,541 It's called the Daying Ering Sanctuary 331 00:18:40,625 --> 00:18:44,000 which then flows out into Dibru Saikhowa National Park 332 00:18:44,416 --> 00:18:47,583 [Parineeta] In a single day, in lean season, when the flows are low... 333 00:18:47,666 --> 00:18:49,291 here hydropower will be generated 334 00:18:49,416 --> 00:18:53,500 because of the sheer amount of water which you will need to impound 335 00:18:53,666 --> 00:18:57,333 for the entire day and then release it for two hours or four hours. 336 00:18:57,416 --> 00:19:00,625 Two hours in the morning, two hours in the evening to generate hydropower. 337 00:19:01,083 --> 00:19:03,416 But these are big rivers. These are huge rivers. 338 00:19:03,500 --> 00:19:07,458 The entire channel itself defies our perception of rivers. 339 00:19:07,583 --> 00:19:11,750 It's braided. It goes on for 20-25 kms. 340 00:19:11,833 --> 00:19:14,750 [Parineeta] That's how these rivers behave and have evolved. 341 00:19:14,833 --> 00:19:19,083 Now when you hold it back, when lower Siang dams and upper Siang dams 342 00:19:19,166 --> 00:19:22,375 and Siang valley dams, right to SIOM. They hold back water... 343 00:19:22,583 --> 00:19:25,083 and they would release the water in a gush, 344 00:19:25,208 --> 00:19:29,708 the entire level difference in one day at Daying Ering Sanctuary 345 00:19:29,791 --> 00:19:35,625 which is about 30 kilometers downstream of the last dam on Siang, that is lower Siang 346 00:19:35,708 --> 00:19:39,458 would be more than 20 feet... 20 feet. 347 00:19:39,625 --> 00:19:41,250 [Valli] This is on a daily basis? 348 00:19:41,333 --> 00:19:42,666 This is on a daily basis. 349 00:19:42,750 --> 00:19:47,625 So, in winter what will happen to the river is that it will behave... 350 00:19:48,416 --> 00:19:51,708 in drought in distress for 22 hours 351 00:19:51,916 --> 00:19:56,000 and it will have the highest of its monsoon flows for two or three hours. 352 00:19:56,291 --> 00:19:58,833 [Parineeta] This is a situation which is happening nearly everywhere. 353 00:19:58,958 --> 00:20:01,583 It is happening in Siang, in Dibang and Lohit. 354 00:20:01,666 --> 00:20:05,875 You can't choke a person and then say but we released him after one day. 355 00:20:07,583 --> 00:20:10,333 [Steve] If we talk specifically about fish then typically... 356 00:20:10,416 --> 00:20:13,166 [Steve] you have fish that live on the bottom of the river. 357 00:20:13,750 --> 00:20:15,500 [Steve] Then fish that live in the middle of the river 358 00:20:15,666 --> 00:20:17,250 and fish that live at the surface. 359 00:20:17,791 --> 00:20:20,041 That's in simple terms. 360 00:20:20,875 --> 00:20:25,750 Usually, they will be in that position because that's where they get their food. 361 00:20:26,208 --> 00:20:28,833 So, the fish are adapted 362 00:20:29,625 --> 00:20:33,125 to fill the ecological niche... let's say it like that. 363 00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:39,416 When you dam a river, instantly you change the whole ecology of the river. 364 00:20:39,791 --> 00:20:42,625 The fish which previously were there 365 00:20:43,958 --> 00:20:48,125 either they have to adapt or they die out. 366 00:20:48,958 --> 00:20:52,250 I know from a scientist colleague who's done work 367 00:20:52,708 --> 00:20:59,666 in a dam where the river impoundment 368 00:20:59,750 --> 00:21:03,000 was put in place maybe 30-40 years ago. 369 00:21:04,291 --> 00:21:10,125 When he samples fish in the dam, he finds around 20 species of fish. 370 00:21:10,875 --> 00:21:14,291 When he goes into the river upstream 371 00:21:14,416 --> 00:21:20,833 sampling in the natural river, he finds 200 species of fish. 372 00:21:22,083 --> 00:21:25,125 Something has gone very wrong with that environment, clearly. 373 00:21:25,625 --> 00:21:28,250 [flowing water] 374 00:21:29,875 --> 00:21:35,208 The impact of dams on fish is something we've absolutely not studied. 375 00:21:35,291 --> 00:21:36,625 We don't want to go there. 376 00:21:36,708 --> 00:21:41,708 Throughout the country, the impacts have been heartbreaking. 377 00:21:42,166 --> 00:21:44,208 [Parineeta] We don't want to build fish ladders. 378 00:21:44,291 --> 00:21:45,875 We don't want to discuss fish ladders. 379 00:21:45,958 --> 00:21:48,458 We don't want to discuss any of these... 380 00:21:48,916 --> 00:21:52,291 possible interventions which may hold some promise. 381 00:21:55,083 --> 00:22:01,958 [Jason] Large hydro is often a very alluring part of the mix. 382 00:22:02,916 --> 00:22:05,541 [Jason] Once you make the intervention in the river system, 383 00:22:05,625 --> 00:22:08,875 so long as the water flows those turbines are going to spin 384 00:22:08,958 --> 00:22:10,375 and money will be made. 385 00:22:10,750 --> 00:22:13,166 Large projects tend to invite corruption. 386 00:22:13,250 --> 00:22:15,500 You see this in pockets all throughout the world. 387 00:22:15,666 --> 00:22:18,458 So, government interests that are approving these... 388 00:22:18,541 --> 00:22:23,833 [Jason] are also liable to personally benefit or at least politically benefit 389 00:22:23,916 --> 00:22:28,416 [Jason] from so much money billions of dollars moving through their coffers. 390 00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:33,083 These are the kinds of alluring elements of the economy that are pushing 391 00:22:33,166 --> 00:22:38,791 this large dam boom and again what is most necessary is to stop and say wait... 392 00:22:38,875 --> 00:22:43,125 What are we trying to grow? What is this electricity used for? 393 00:22:43,208 --> 00:22:49,500 At least, be honest and suggest that it's about further industrial expansion 394 00:22:49,583 --> 00:22:54,333 and let's not hide behind this... this greenwashing that... 395 00:22:54,625 --> 00:22:57,208 that this is somehow sustainable that more dams 396 00:22:57,291 --> 00:23:00,000 will lead to a greener and brighter future 397 00:23:00,083 --> 00:23:05,166 and that all boats will somehow rise that the poor will somehow benefit... 398 00:23:06,916 --> 00:23:09,541 [Valli] We drove up and down the Ganga river basin 399 00:23:09,666 --> 00:23:12,166 [Valli] and found that the intense developmental activity 400 00:23:12,250 --> 00:23:16,416 [Valli] was taking its toll on not just the river, but the mountains as well. 401 00:23:17,041 --> 00:23:20,791 [Valli] Around construction sites of these massive developmental projects 402 00:23:20,958 --> 00:23:24,166 [Valli] as the earth below trembled due to continuous blasting 403 00:23:24,250 --> 00:23:26,500 [Valli] and absorbed water from the reservoirs. 404 00:23:26,583 --> 00:23:28,958 [Valli] Massive chunks of land had broken away. 405 00:23:29,125 --> 00:23:30,875 [Valli] Houses had been ripped open. 406 00:23:30,958 --> 00:23:32,958 [Valli] Entire villages had sunk. 407 00:23:33,375 --> 00:23:36,416 [reflective music] 408 00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:40,708 [Valli] The mountain face seemed brittle and dangerously unstable. 409 00:23:40,833 --> 00:23:44,291 [Valli] All along the river scars of old and recent landslides 410 00:23:44,416 --> 00:23:47,666 [Valli] passed by too close and frequent for comfort. 411 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:53,083 [reflective music] 412 00:24:10,625 --> 00:24:14,041 [Valli] And then, there was that thread one rarely talked about. 413 00:24:14,375 --> 00:24:17,083 The seismological threat is very real. 414 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:21,333 And this is conceded even by the developers. 415 00:24:21,916 --> 00:24:26,375 [Simon] And so, everywhere from a main frontal thrust... 416 00:24:28,166 --> 00:24:34,125 north... 200 kms to the Sutia zone, 417 00:24:34,416 --> 00:24:36,500 the boundary between Indian rocks and Asian rocks. 418 00:24:37,833 --> 00:24:40,791 This fault, it's not a vertical line through the earth 419 00:24:40,875 --> 00:24:43,666 it's a very gently dipping line through the earth. 420 00:24:43,791 --> 00:24:49,333 So, everywhere along this belt is underlain by a huge fault. 421 00:24:50,041 --> 00:24:54,208 This is an old picture now but it shows... 422 00:24:54,291 --> 00:24:58,250 where the big earthquakes had happened in historic memory. 423 00:24:58,333 --> 00:25:03,041 1950 in Assam 1934 in Nepal. Much bigger than the Kathmandu earthquake. 424 00:25:03,666 --> 00:25:08,458 And it shows the size of earthquakes that we expect along the Himalayan front. 425 00:25:08,625 --> 00:25:11,750 That is to say we do expect earthquakes. 426 00:25:11,833 --> 00:25:15,333 The size of the 1950 earthquake, the size of the 1934 earthquake 427 00:25:15,416 --> 00:25:18,375 to happen periodically along this front. 428 00:25:18,750 --> 00:25:21,791 [Valli] So, when you say a big earthquake what are we talking about? 429 00:25:21,875 --> 00:25:24,416 A magnitude eight or larger. 430 00:25:24,500 --> 00:25:28,708 [Valli] So, all the big red bars, those are eight and plus? 431 00:25:28,791 --> 00:25:33,000 That's right. They come up to an eight. Yes. Yes. 432 00:25:33,541 --> 00:25:37,041 And we're certain those will happen because we're certain those have happened. 433 00:25:37,458 --> 00:25:43,791 There is every reason to believe that these dams and projects 434 00:25:43,875 --> 00:25:46,500 should be sited far more carefully. 435 00:25:46,583 --> 00:25:50,916 Unfortunately, a proper realistic analysis of these dams have not been done. 436 00:25:51,041 --> 00:25:56,416 Although, there are engineers who have been designing these dams and... 437 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,583 quite unethically they were also the advisors to the government. 438 00:26:01,666 --> 00:26:06,250 So, they were not only providers of designs 439 00:26:06,333 --> 00:26:08,166 but they also advised the government. 440 00:26:08,250 --> 00:26:12,625 And they were on all the committees. They convinced the government of the day... 441 00:26:13,041 --> 00:26:15,583 that whatever they had designed was safe enough. 442 00:26:15,666 --> 00:26:18,875 Although, no serious analysis has been done. 443 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,625 [flowing water] 444 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:24,958 [Valli] It was becoming clear that the odds 445 00:26:25,041 --> 00:26:28,250 were stacked up high against big dams in the Himalayas. 446 00:26:28,625 --> 00:26:30,416 [Himanshu] Because, you are going into 447 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:33,083 inaccessible areas and difficult to access areas. 448 00:26:33,166 --> 00:26:36,000 [Himanshu] Your cost in those areas will be higher than the other areas. 449 00:26:36,958 --> 00:26:41,333 [Himanshu] Secondly, see the climate change is also making... 450 00:26:41,708 --> 00:26:44,625 them realize that the water flow is unpredictable. 451 00:26:45,125 --> 00:26:48,083 And the whole hydropower generation depends on that. 452 00:26:48,416 --> 00:26:52,833 Thirdly, they also realize whether they don't accept it publicly that... 453 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,416 the chances of disasters are going up... for hydropower projects. 454 00:26:58,500 --> 00:27:02,000 During the construction phase particularly, but even subsequently. 455 00:27:03,083 --> 00:27:07,333 [band plays] 456 00:27:08,833 --> 00:27:10,750 [storm rumbles] 457 00:27:12,375 --> 00:27:14,750 -[man 1] Is that a man or a cow? -[indistinct chatter] 458 00:27:14,833 --> 00:27:16,625 -[man 2] Is that a man? -[all] Yes, it's a man. 459 00:27:17,375 --> 00:27:18,708 [man 2] He is stuck. 460 00:27:18,791 --> 00:27:19,708 [indistinct chatter] 461 00:27:19,791 --> 00:27:20,666 [whistle] 462 00:27:20,750 --> 00:27:21,958 [man 1] There's another one there. 463 00:27:22,958 --> 00:27:23,833 [man 2] He won't get out. 464 00:27:23,958 --> 00:27:25,666 [man 3] How will he get out? 465 00:27:25,750 --> 00:27:28,250 [man 2] He won't get out now. 466 00:27:28,500 --> 00:27:33,000 [band drums beat] 467 00:27:36,708 --> 00:27:41,750 [Valli] June 2013 marked a shift in the hydropower discourse in the country. 468 00:27:42,875 --> 00:27:45,458 [Valli] Cloud bursts are not new in the Himalayas. 469 00:27:45,583 --> 00:27:49,791 [Valli] Only this time, the millions of tons of dam and mountain debris 470 00:27:49,875 --> 00:27:52,250 [Valli] that had been dumped all along the basin 471 00:27:52,333 --> 00:27:55,250 [Valli] turned the water flow into a monstrous deluge. 472 00:27:55,833 --> 00:27:57,083 [Valli] So we went in. 473 00:28:02,791 --> 00:28:05,166 [Valli] The riverbed had risen almost everywhere. 474 00:28:05,250 --> 00:28:08,333 [Valli] At some places, over 50 to 65 feet. 475 00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:10,375 [pensive music] 476 00:28:11,166 --> 00:28:14,583 [Valli] During the cloudburst, part of a glacier broke away 477 00:28:14,666 --> 00:28:16,666 [Valli] and crashed into a mountain lake 478 00:28:16,750 --> 00:28:20,166 [Valli] which then emptied itself into Kedarnath Valley. 479 00:28:21,250 --> 00:28:24,125 [Valli] The raging floodwaters then headed downstream 480 00:28:24,208 --> 00:28:28,208 [Valli] for Lanco's 76 megawatt Phata Byung dam in Sitapur 481 00:28:28,291 --> 00:28:32,000 [Valli] choking its diversion tunnels with tons of silt and boulders. 482 00:28:32,291 --> 00:28:36,041 [Valli] The torrent then flattened the barrage before moving down to Kund, 483 00:28:36,125 --> 00:28:39,375 [Valli] the site of L&T's Singori Bhatwari plant. 484 00:28:39,458 --> 00:28:42,833 [pensive music continues] 485 00:28:43,625 --> 00:28:46,708 [Valli] L&T's powerhouse was completely wiped out. 486 00:28:49,791 --> 00:28:54,000 [Marthand] Is this from where the helicopter was swept away? 487 00:28:54,125 --> 00:28:56,250 [Durban] The second helicopter was swept away... 488 00:28:56,375 --> 00:28:57,208 [Marthand] In the night. 489 00:28:57,291 --> 00:28:58,375 [Durban] I think it happened in the morning. 490 00:28:59,708 --> 00:29:03,333 [Durban] The helipad broke away at three in the morning. 491 00:29:03,416 --> 00:29:05,541 [Marthand, in Hindi] Did it happen because of the rain? 492 00:29:05,708 --> 00:29:11,125 [in Hindi] It rained. And then there was a Jaypee dam upstream. 493 00:29:11,250 --> 00:29:16,250 The gates didn't open in time. The flood increased because of that. 494 00:29:16,333 --> 00:29:19,833 If they had kept the gates open, the water would have flowed more easy. 495 00:29:19,916 --> 00:29:21,833 -[man 1] They did not open the gates. -[man 2] They opened it all at once. 496 00:29:22,041 --> 00:29:23,541 -[man 1] It broke? -[man 2] Yes. It did. 497 00:29:23,916 --> 00:29:27,083 -[man 1] They kept the gates closed. -[man 2] Yes, because... 498 00:29:27,166 --> 00:29:29,583 -[man 1] The closed gates couldn't hold... -[man 2] The water pressure... 499 00:29:29,791 --> 00:29:31,958 It couldn't hold the water pressure and so it bursted. 500 00:29:32,041 --> 00:29:32,958 All at once. 501 00:29:33,166 --> 00:29:38,583 The dam burst towards the National Highway Road and then the floods came by. 502 00:29:38,666 --> 00:29:40,625 The flood lasted for a long time. 503 00:29:40,708 --> 00:29:42,250 [Marthand] It lasted for 10-12 hours? 504 00:29:42,333 --> 00:29:45,791 Yes, this was not like earlier times when the flash floods lasted for 10-15 minutes. 505 00:29:45,875 --> 00:29:49,333 No... this continued for hours. It was quite a sight. 506 00:29:49,416 --> 00:29:54,500 [Valli, in English] The dams at Srinagar, DhauliGanga, Motighat, Madhyamaheshwar 507 00:29:54,625 --> 00:29:59,166 [Valli] Asiganga 1&2 Maneri Bhali 1 and 2 suffered damages as well. 508 00:29:59,250 --> 00:30:03,791 [man, in Hindi] 2 turbines were swept away some equipment from the dam site too. 509 00:30:03,875 --> 00:30:08,000 [man] Yes, that was expensive equipment. 510 00:30:08,083 --> 00:30:11,625 [Hemant] Another dam was the 400 MW Vishnuprayag Project. 511 00:30:11,875 --> 00:30:14,416 The Alakhnanda river filled up that dam in such a way... 512 00:30:14,500 --> 00:30:16,541 [Hemant] And the river cut open a side of the mountain. 513 00:30:16,666 --> 00:30:19,250 [man] The dam got left here and the river made its way around it. 514 00:30:19,333 --> 00:30:23,750 [Marthand] Wherever the river goes, they will have to take their dam along. 515 00:30:23,833 --> 00:30:26,666 [dam official] Nowadays, it is very difficult to construct a hydro dam. 516 00:30:27,125 --> 00:30:28,041 Hydro power project. 517 00:30:28,333 --> 00:30:33,458 [dam official] You very well know that... because of Eco-sensitive zone, the NGOs... 518 00:30:33,541 --> 00:30:36,000 [dam official] So, we have to protect them. 519 00:30:36,250 --> 00:30:38,458 [Marthand] Because of the floods? [dam official] No, no... 520 00:30:38,666 --> 00:30:43,875 [dam official] It is totally foreign funded... all these agitations... 521 00:30:43,958 --> 00:30:46,333 [dam official] Hydro has nothing to do with that... 522 00:30:46,875 --> 00:30:48,958 -[Marthand] Floods? -[dam official] With floods. 523 00:30:49,041 --> 00:30:51,000 [reflective music] 524 00:31:00,041 --> 00:31:03,208 [flowing water] 525 00:31:06,625 --> 00:31:10,500 [reflective music continues] 526 00:31:19,250 --> 00:31:22,875 The future of this technology is very bleak. 527 00:31:23,916 --> 00:31:30,333 And if you realize the total cost that we are paying as a society 528 00:31:30,541 --> 00:31:32,208 for any one of these projects 529 00:31:32,458 --> 00:31:35,666 then there should be no question of such projects going ahead. 530 00:31:35,750 --> 00:31:37,375 [flowing water] 531 00:31:38,875 --> 00:31:40,583 Dam it. 532 00:31:41,708 --> 00:31:44,041 You still think so? Of course. 533 00:31:44,458 --> 00:31:46,541 How else do we make power? 534 00:31:46,625 --> 00:31:48,625 [in Hindi] Well, there is coal. 535 00:31:48,708 --> 00:31:50,166 [in English] Most of the developed nations 536 00:31:50,250 --> 00:31:53,375 generate electricity with coal and so it is in India. 537 00:31:53,458 --> 00:31:57,625 Brilliant! Coal it is then! Coal is the goal. 538 00:31:57,708 --> 00:32:00,166 Not exactly, but let's watch. 539 00:32:00,416 --> 00:32:02,416 [muffled train announcement] 540 00:32:02,541 --> 00:32:05,666 [journey music] 541 00:32:06,375 --> 00:32:08,791 [in Hindi] Spicy treats! Spicy treats! 542 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,958 [journey music continues] 543 00:32:16,625 --> 00:32:19,750 Nuts lemon lentils! Nuts lemon lentils! 544 00:32:20,208 --> 00:32:24,000 [journey music continues] 545 00:32:53,291 --> 00:32:57,166 [train horn] 546 00:32:57,291 --> 00:33:01,291 [train wheels] 547 00:33:07,541 --> 00:33:12,000 [Valli] Energy and water now seemed deeply entwined. More questions cropped up. 548 00:33:12,666 --> 00:33:16,125 [Valli] How do rivers get affected when electricity is made with coal? 549 00:33:16,500 --> 00:33:20,375 [Valli] Where is coal mined? And then what do we do with it? 550 00:33:20,458 --> 00:33:23,166 [Biswajit] This is the general structure of a coal field. 551 00:33:23,250 --> 00:33:29,500 So while drilling we found that coal layers are at a depth of... 552 00:33:31,333 --> 00:33:33,916 200 meters... here. 553 00:33:34,750 --> 00:33:38,916 Whereas, here it is only 25 meters. 554 00:33:39,708 --> 00:33:43,416 [Valli] Which means either we scoop the coal out from just below the surface 555 00:33:43,500 --> 00:33:45,791 [Valli] by a method called open cast mining. 556 00:33:45,875 --> 00:33:50,000 [Valli] Or dig tunnels and drill it out from deep under the ground. 557 00:33:50,166 --> 00:33:52,750 [train wheels] 558 00:33:54,583 --> 00:33:57,791 [Valli] We had entered the heart of Central Indian coal fields. 559 00:33:57,875 --> 00:33:59,958 [Valli] The color of the soil looked different. 560 00:34:00,041 --> 00:34:01,875 [Valli] Cargo trains look busier. 561 00:34:01,958 --> 00:34:04,416 [Valli] Everything looked very industrial. 562 00:34:05,250 --> 00:34:08,291 [Valli] How many years of formation are we talking about? 563 00:34:08,375 --> 00:34:13,833 It is several million years. It is several million years. 564 00:34:15,458 --> 00:34:21,958 Out of death comes life as Lord Shiva said - renewable is the future. 565 00:34:22,625 --> 00:34:26,083 Shiva said that? Oh, no, no, no, this is... 566 00:34:26,166 --> 00:34:29,458 this is coal. This is... coal is not renewable. 567 00:34:29,791 --> 00:34:32,250 Coal... you burn it. Poof it goes into the air. 568 00:34:32,333 --> 00:34:33,875 It never comes back to its original state. 569 00:34:34,625 --> 00:34:36,125 -Coal. -[Valli] It remains in the air as smoke. 570 00:34:36,250 --> 00:34:37,666 Coal is renewable. 571 00:34:38,750 --> 00:34:40,291 It is renewable. 572 00:34:41,041 --> 00:34:43,000 You tell me, what will happen to you when you die? 573 00:34:43,750 --> 00:34:45,291 I don't know. I'll be dead, right? 574 00:34:45,375 --> 00:34:47,333 Yes... and you will be buried. 575 00:34:48,041 --> 00:34:51,208 And in a million years, you will become a fossil. 576 00:34:51,916 --> 00:34:53,875 My friend, you will become coal. 577 00:34:54,291 --> 00:34:55,791 Renewable. 578 00:34:56,083 --> 00:34:57,625 [sigh] 579 00:34:59,583 --> 00:35:01,250 Anything else? 580 00:35:01,791 --> 00:35:02,750 There's some more. 581 00:35:04,625 --> 00:35:05,833 [sigh] 582 00:35:08,291 --> 00:35:12,250 [Shripad] A lot of them are in the eastern and central part of India. 583 00:35:12,333 --> 00:35:16,291 Chhattisgarh has huge deposits. Odisha has large deposits. 584 00:35:16,375 --> 00:35:18,958 Then you have Jharkhand which has large deposits. 585 00:35:19,041 --> 00:35:21,833 Some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh border... 586 00:35:21,916 --> 00:35:24,666 These are the Singrauli coal fields and... 587 00:35:24,791 --> 00:35:27,625 nearby coal fields and then you have West Bengal... 588 00:35:27,708 --> 00:35:30,166 and then you have northeast and Meghalaya and you have some 589 00:35:30,250 --> 00:35:32,750 other coal deposits in the northeast. 590 00:35:32,833 --> 00:35:34,416 [Valli] All the electricity that we have, 591 00:35:34,500 --> 00:35:37,833 it's a huge percentage that coal gives, right? 592 00:35:37,916 --> 00:35:40,000 Yeah around 70-71%. 593 00:35:40,083 --> 00:35:43,458 [Valli] So, how much coal reserves do we have? 594 00:35:43,541 --> 00:35:47,500 In India, we have a total reserve 595 00:35:47,583 --> 00:35:50,708 of 301 billion tons of coal. 596 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:56,250 Yes... as per present exploration. And it is increasing. 597 00:35:56,500 --> 00:35:59,375 [Valli] What this means is, at the current rate of use, 598 00:35:59,708 --> 00:36:03,250 [Valli] the country's coal reserves would last almost 500 years. 599 00:36:03,791 --> 00:36:06,375 That's brilliant! Black gold. 600 00:36:07,166 --> 00:36:10,083 Now nobody can stop us from becoming a superpower. 601 00:36:10,416 --> 00:36:13,083 I wouldn't say that at this point. 602 00:36:13,208 --> 00:36:16,625 This dark rock comes with a dark story. 603 00:36:16,708 --> 00:36:19,291 How can be a dark story when it lights up my house? 604 00:36:19,375 --> 00:36:22,666 Well, world over coal is being considered dirty energy. 605 00:36:22,791 --> 00:36:25,000 Oh okay... now they tell us. 606 00:36:25,708 --> 00:36:27,583 They burnt their own coal and developed. 607 00:36:27,666 --> 00:36:29,708 Now, when it is our turn it has become dirty energy. 608 00:36:31,083 --> 00:36:33,166 This is all a conspiracy. 609 00:36:33,958 --> 00:36:35,541 -[Valli] This... -They want to keep us backward. 610 00:36:35,625 --> 00:36:37,083 They don't want us to develop. 611 00:36:37,166 --> 00:36:39,125 They want to control us. 612 00:36:39,208 --> 00:36:40,916 That may not be entirely true, you know. 613 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:42,416 And you both... with this film. 614 00:36:43,375 --> 00:36:44,916 You are talking the same language. 615 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,625 You are also anti-nationals. You are also traitors. 616 00:36:47,958 --> 00:36:48,958 Sir, you are wrong. 617 00:36:49,041 --> 00:36:50,208 Where are you getting the funds from? 618 00:36:50,583 --> 00:36:52,583 Well, many people are helping in many different ways. 619 00:36:52,916 --> 00:36:54,375 -Foreign agents. -[in Hindi] Who are you calling? 620 00:36:54,458 --> 00:36:56,541 Wait. You are making serious allegations here. 621 00:36:56,791 --> 00:36:58,125 At least, finish watching the film. 622 00:36:58,208 --> 00:36:59,750 -Are you bugged? -No, I am not. 623 00:36:59,833 --> 00:37:00,791 What is that? 624 00:37:00,958 --> 00:37:02,000 -[Naseer, in Hindi] Why is it kept here? -[Valli in Hindi] This... 625 00:37:02,333 --> 00:37:03,458 This... this is my hair clip. 626 00:37:06,458 --> 00:37:07,875 -[Valli] It's a hair clip. -[Naseer, in English] Looks dangerous. 627 00:37:07,958 --> 00:37:09,416 [Valli, in English] It's not dangerous. 628 00:37:10,083 --> 00:37:13,458 Look, you have to... you have to know more about coal. 629 00:37:13,541 --> 00:37:16,375 And its impacts on the environment and the people the world over. 630 00:37:16,458 --> 00:37:18,708 Not just in India... everywhere. 631 00:37:20,041 --> 00:37:22,500 [sighs] Alright. Show me. 632 00:37:24,583 --> 00:37:28,708 [Shripad] A lot of the coal that we have is in very thickly forested areas. 633 00:37:28,791 --> 00:37:31,083 [Shripad] Areas which harbor a lot of wildlife... 634 00:37:31,166 --> 00:37:33,583 [Shripad] you know, which harbors rich ecology and biodiversity 635 00:37:33,916 --> 00:37:36,291 which are the areas that provide... 636 00:37:36,416 --> 00:37:41,208 and recharge groundwater and of course they are home to many tribal communities. 637 00:37:41,291 --> 00:37:44,833 [Shripad] So, when you want to mine them then you to clear-fell these areas... 638 00:37:44,916 --> 00:37:47,250 [Shripad] and access the coal below the ground. So... 639 00:37:47,333 --> 00:37:50,875 [Valli] In a nutshell, coal is dug out, taken to washeries 640 00:37:50,958 --> 00:37:54,916 [Valli] where it is crushed and washed then transported to the power plant, 641 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:59,666 [Valli] to be burnt to produce steam to turn the turbines to generate electricity. 642 00:38:00,375 --> 00:38:01,625 [Valli] Throughout this process, 643 00:38:01,875 --> 00:38:05,291 coal shares a rather close relationship with water. 644 00:38:05,541 --> 00:38:07,875 [Valli] So, we planned our visit during the monsoons 645 00:38:07,958 --> 00:38:10,708 [Valli] to see how intimate this relationship could get. 646 00:38:10,791 --> 00:38:12,791 [music] 647 00:38:13,666 --> 00:38:16,416 [Sanjit] This is it. We are here. 648 00:38:18,833 --> 00:38:23,375 [Sanjit] Come... move fast... because if someone notices us then... 649 00:38:27,250 --> 00:38:29,125 [thunder rumbles] 650 00:38:31,458 --> 00:38:34,500 [Valli] In its various stages of making electricity, 651 00:38:34,583 --> 00:38:36,291 [Valli] from mining till it is burnt, 652 00:38:36,375 --> 00:38:38,625 [Valli] whenever coal debris meets water, 653 00:38:38,708 --> 00:38:42,583 [Valli] it releases a toxic cocktail of heavy metals in our waterways 654 00:38:42,666 --> 00:38:46,000 [Valli] polluting our rivers, streams, our groundwater, 655 00:38:46,083 --> 00:38:49,500 [Valli] water that we all drink and use on a daily basis. 656 00:38:49,916 --> 00:38:51,916 [heavy rain] 657 00:38:54,083 --> 00:38:55,333 [Valli gasps] 658 00:38:57,541 --> 00:39:01,166 [Sanjit] Huh... is this good? 659 00:39:02,333 --> 00:39:03,750 [Valli] This is crazy. 660 00:39:03,833 --> 00:39:06,875 [Sanjit] Is this good enough? 661 00:39:06,958 --> 00:39:10,708 [Valli] That morning while the heavy rainstorm kept the guards indoors, 662 00:39:10,791 --> 00:39:13,916 [Valli] we had entered areas that are usually off-limits. 663 00:39:14,500 --> 00:39:17,458 [Valli] The mix of coal debris and water was complete. 664 00:39:19,041 --> 00:39:20,375 [man] All this flowing water goes into the river. 665 00:39:20,833 --> 00:39:23,666 [Valli] Into the Damodar river? [Sanjit] Yes. Into the Damodar river. 666 00:39:25,958 --> 00:39:28,625 [Valli] These were not leaks or spills. 667 00:39:28,833 --> 00:39:30,541 [Valli] The plunder was out there in the open 668 00:39:30,625 --> 00:39:32,541 [Valli] with nothing to contain millions of tons 669 00:39:32,625 --> 00:39:35,708 [Valli] of coal sludge from entering our waterways. 670 00:39:36,125 --> 00:39:38,875 -[indistinct chatter] -[man] The AC is not serviced. 671 00:39:39,125 --> 00:39:42,125 [Valli] Khan Sahib, what are you doing today? 672 00:39:43,916 --> 00:39:47,291 [Sanjit] We should take you inside as well. 673 00:39:48,083 --> 00:39:54,291 [Sanjit] Inside the washery, the water is all black. 674 00:39:55,500 --> 00:40:00,458 Anyway, you are seeing it out here. 675 00:40:00,958 --> 00:40:03,291 [Khan] Today, your wishes have come true. 676 00:40:03,375 --> 00:40:06,666 [Valli] Khan Saheb, you are doing an amazing job today. 677 00:40:07,541 --> 00:40:09,291 [Sanjit] Take this road on the right. 678 00:40:09,375 --> 00:40:10,833 -[man] Where? -[Valli] To the right. 679 00:40:13,125 --> 00:40:16,125 [Sanjit] Look out here on this side. 680 00:40:16,208 --> 00:40:17,083 [Valli] Whoa! 681 00:40:17,250 --> 00:40:19,541 [Sanjit, in Hindi] Can you see the fire... the smoke? 682 00:40:20,875 --> 00:40:22,250 [Sanjit] Can you see it? 683 00:40:22,333 --> 00:40:23,791 [Valli] No, let me step out. 684 00:40:23,875 --> 00:40:27,000 [Sanjit] Right... film from the inside first, as much as you can. 685 00:40:27,083 --> 00:40:29,333 [Sanjit] Look down at all the fire... climb up. Why don't you climb up? 686 00:40:29,416 --> 00:40:31,583 [Valli] I'm climbing, bro! 687 00:40:32,041 --> 00:40:34,166 -[Valli] Oops! -[Sanjit] Come on, fast... 688 00:40:34,666 --> 00:40:37,541 [train horn] 689 00:40:38,416 --> 00:40:40,916 -Do you see all these cracks? -[Valli] Yes. 690 00:40:41,500 --> 00:40:42,791 Gas is coming out from all these cracks. 691 00:40:42,875 --> 00:40:44,333 [Valli] Is this also a subsidence area? [Sanjit] Yes. 692 00:40:44,416 --> 00:40:48,958 [Sanjit] But do not go near because the gas is fatal. 693 00:40:49,041 --> 00:40:51,500 It can kill a man. 694 00:40:52,250 --> 00:40:54,666 [Valli] How much of inhaling does that? 695 00:40:55,458 --> 00:40:57,166 -One long... -[Valli] Really? 696 00:40:57,250 --> 00:40:58,416 A long inhale and you are gone. 697 00:40:58,500 --> 00:41:00,458 [Valli] So, if the winds change, we should run. 698 00:41:01,916 --> 00:41:03,916 [Valli shudders] 699 00:41:04,583 --> 00:41:05,416 Look there. 700 00:41:05,916 --> 00:41:08,458 -[Valli] Oh, right. -[Sanjit] You can film there. 701 00:41:11,083 --> 00:41:13,541 [Sanjit] Don't go too near. Don't inhale the gas. 702 00:41:14,375 --> 00:41:16,666 [Valli] I'll stop breathing. [laughs] 703 00:41:18,791 --> 00:41:21,833 [Sanjit] Take the photo. Not the gas. 704 00:41:25,750 --> 00:41:29,958 [machine sounds] 705 00:41:36,041 --> 00:41:38,541 [Sanjit] All this area... wherever we are standing is on fire. 706 00:41:39,250 --> 00:41:41,250 -[Valli] All these cracks... -[Sanjit] Hmm. 707 00:41:41,833 --> 00:41:43,250 -[Valli] will make this land sink? -[Sanjit] Yes. 708 00:41:43,333 --> 00:41:44,958 [Sanjit] All this will sink. 709 00:41:45,500 --> 00:41:49,541 [Sanjit] Look... another puff of smoke just came out. 710 00:41:49,625 --> 00:41:52,500 [Valli] Whoa... what happened? 711 00:41:52,583 --> 00:41:54,666 -[Sanjit] There was a blast underground. -[Valli] We didn't hear anything. 712 00:41:55,166 --> 00:41:56,375 [Sanjit] This was a natural one. 713 00:41:57,166 --> 00:41:59,083 -[Sanjit] It blew on its own. -[Valli] When... 714 00:41:59,500 --> 00:42:02,791 The fire underground released the gas. 715 00:42:06,041 --> 00:42:11,583 [Sanjit] You saw this happen twice just now. The first one was a while back. 716 00:42:14,458 --> 00:42:20,625 [Sanjit] There are different variations. It goes up till 20,000 ppm. 717 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:22,458 [Valli] How much should it be? 718 00:42:22,541 --> 00:42:24,958 -[Sanjit] It should be less than 0.2 ppm. -[Valli] Huh! 719 00:42:26,833 --> 00:42:30,750 It is 20,000 ppm. Parts per million. 720 00:42:32,041 --> 00:42:32,916 [Valli] Of carbon? 721 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:39,166 [Sanjit] Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen... other gases are also there. 722 00:42:39,625 --> 00:42:41,208 [Valli] Has it increased in the last 10 years? 723 00:42:42,208 --> 00:42:43,083 [Sanjit] Hmm. 724 00:42:43,333 --> 00:42:45,416 [Valli] Was it tolerable before that? 725 00:42:45,958 --> 00:42:47,333 [Sanjit] It wasn't tolerable. 726 00:42:47,416 --> 00:42:53,583 But as the mining activity increased, 727 00:42:53,666 --> 00:42:58,208 the fire and subsidence has also increased. 728 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,875 [Sanjit] It's a huge loss to natural environment. 729 00:43:02,625 --> 00:43:06,250 [Sanjit] If they are mining, 730 00:43:06,791 --> 00:43:13,041 they should rehabilitate and plant trees. 731 00:43:13,541 --> 00:43:16,208 There is nothing around. Just you see. 732 00:43:17,083 --> 00:43:19,833 They have left overburden out in the open. 733 00:43:20,083 --> 00:43:23,708 They should dump 734 00:43:24,208 --> 00:43:28,875 and regenerate the soil again. 735 00:43:29,083 --> 00:43:31,625 Do some plantation... 736 00:43:31,750 --> 00:43:33,583 [Valli] But they are required by law, right? 737 00:43:33,833 --> 00:43:36,208 The laws cover everything. 738 00:43:36,791 --> 00:43:39,041 [Valli] And that is the reason they are so secretive about it. 739 00:43:40,166 --> 00:43:41,541 [Valli] Because, they don't follow the law. 740 00:43:45,333 --> 00:43:48,500 [Shripad] Now, Indian coal typically has very high ash content. 741 00:43:48,958 --> 00:43:51,708 It can be up to 35-40%. 742 00:43:52,166 --> 00:43:54,291 [Shripad] The idea is that you have these washeries. 743 00:43:54,708 --> 00:43:57,666 I mean washeries is a little simplified way of understanding it. 744 00:43:57,750 --> 00:44:00,583 It's not that you put coal in water and wash off the dust. 745 00:44:00,666 --> 00:44:03,375 It is a mix of physical chemical processes 746 00:44:03,458 --> 00:44:05,666 [Shripad] by which these impurities are separated out 747 00:44:05,958 --> 00:44:08,125 and what comes out is called clean coal 748 00:44:08,208 --> 00:44:10,541 which is a misnomer because it's not really clean. 749 00:44:10,791 --> 00:44:13,416 It's slightly better than the earlier ones. 750 00:44:13,666 --> 00:44:17,458 [Shripad] You know, say from 35%, it may go down to 20% or 22%. 751 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,208 [reflective music] 752 00:44:23,041 --> 00:44:25,458 [Shripad] Many of the washeries are supposed to be zero-liquid discharge 753 00:44:25,541 --> 00:44:26,833 so this is not supposed to go out 754 00:44:27,166 --> 00:44:29,666 [Shripad] but we have seen blatantly this water just let down 755 00:44:29,750 --> 00:44:33,500 into rivers and into streams which has very serious impact. 756 00:44:35,458 --> 00:44:39,791 [reflective music continues] 757 00:44:46,916 --> 00:44:48,791 [Valli] We drove around a power plant 758 00:44:48,875 --> 00:44:51,208 [Valli] which for some reason guarded itself like a fortress. 759 00:44:52,250 --> 00:44:56,333 [Valli] In a power plant, the washed coal is burnt to generate electricity. 760 00:44:58,625 --> 00:45:00,958 [Valli] Well... not just electricity. 761 00:45:01,208 --> 00:45:04,583 [Shripad] We are generating ash in terms of millions of tons. 762 00:45:04,666 --> 00:45:08,625 [Shripad] I think last year, we probably generated 160 million tons. 763 00:45:08,708 --> 00:45:12,166 [Shripad] Just to put a figure on that, I think it is more than two times, 764 00:45:12,291 --> 00:45:16,625 [Shripad] the total municipal solid waste generated in the country 765 00:45:17,250 --> 00:45:19,166 [Valli] Hey brother... can you call him for a minute? 766 00:45:19,375 --> 00:45:20,416 [man] Yes. 767 00:45:21,458 --> 00:45:24,333 [Valli] I have to ask him something about the trucks. 768 00:45:25,416 --> 00:45:27,250 [man] 700 in a day. 769 00:45:27,333 --> 00:45:29,166 [Valli] How many times do you come and go? 770 00:45:29,250 --> 00:45:30,833 [man] We come 3-4 times. 771 00:45:30,958 --> 00:45:32,875 [Valli] The entire day? 772 00:45:33,541 --> 00:45:35,250 [Valli] And what is the truck's capacity? 773 00:45:35,333 --> 00:45:39,125 [man] This carries around 15 tons. 774 00:45:40,041 --> 00:45:45,625 [Valli] Hmm. So here you will keep dumping and move forward? 775 00:45:45,708 --> 00:45:47,166 [Valli] All this land that has sunk? 776 00:45:47,291 --> 00:45:49,291 [man] Yes, all this mined area will be covered. 777 00:45:49,500 --> 00:45:52,250 [Valli] Alright. Wonderful! 778 00:45:54,208 --> 00:45:55,541 [man] We will leave now, sister. 779 00:45:56,458 --> 00:46:00,708 [Shripad] If you go to coal mining areas and areas where coal is burnt, 780 00:46:01,083 --> 00:46:05,625 [Shripad] it is supposed to be disposed in a wet process in the ash ponds. 781 00:46:06,458 --> 00:46:08,416 [Valli] This you could just go and film? [Shripad] Yeah. 782 00:46:08,500 --> 00:46:09,541 [Valli] Which location is this? 783 00:46:09,625 --> 00:46:12,833 This is Chennai, north Chennai. See the size of the pond. 784 00:46:13,958 --> 00:46:16,583 This is only one part of the pond. There is another behind this... 785 00:46:16,666 --> 00:46:20,125 [Valli] So what happens to the groundwater in and around these places? 786 00:46:20,666 --> 00:46:23,041 All contaminated. That's the big thing. 787 00:46:23,125 --> 00:46:27,000 Now, this is supposed to be lined. It's not lined at all. 788 00:46:27,083 --> 00:46:27,916 [Valli] Lined means? 789 00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:29,041 [man] Lined meaning put a plastic underneath. 790 00:46:29,125 --> 00:46:32,750 No, I mean that requirement also came in only in the last eight to ten years. 791 00:46:33,666 --> 00:46:35,458 [ash water falling] 792 00:46:37,375 --> 00:46:42,875 So, you see the consistency. So, now it falls in, some of the water will evaporate 793 00:46:42,958 --> 00:46:46,458 some will seep in, at some places the ash will dry... 794 00:46:47,208 --> 00:46:49,750 then it starts blowing... 795 00:46:50,583 --> 00:46:52,875 [Valli] No smoking? [laughter] 796 00:46:52,958 --> 00:46:56,000 -[Valli] Ironical. -[doctor] We don't need cigarettes. 797 00:46:56,083 --> 00:46:57,541 -[Valli] We don't need... -[doctor] Cigarettes. 798 00:46:57,625 --> 00:46:59,750 -[Valli] Everyone is smoking. -[doctor] Everyone is smoking. 799 00:46:59,833 --> 00:47:01,833 [both laugh] 800 00:47:02,708 --> 00:47:04,583 [patient, in Hindi] It burns here. 801 00:47:04,833 --> 00:47:06,583 [doctor, in Hindi] You have problem of the heart? 802 00:47:07,583 --> 00:47:09,875 [patient] Yes, a little of that. [doctor] Yes, you are right. 803 00:47:11,958 --> 00:47:13,958 -[doctor] You have problem breathing too? -[patient] Yes, a little of that too. 804 00:47:14,041 --> 00:47:16,041 [doctor] How many years have you had this breathing problem? 805 00:47:16,166 --> 00:47:20,041 [Valli] We read that there are a huge number of deaths 806 00:47:20,125 --> 00:47:21,666 this is all over India figure. 807 00:47:21,833 --> 00:47:26,666 [Valli] 100,000 that die due to respiratory problems... 808 00:47:26,750 --> 00:47:28,625 so what are they dying of? 809 00:47:28,708 --> 00:47:29,875 [Valli] Is it pneumoconiosis? 810 00:47:29,958 --> 00:47:33,500 [doctor] No, no... pneumoconiosis is related to the coal dust 811 00:47:33,583 --> 00:47:36,708 and also coal dust gives rise to a disease known as COPD... 812 00:47:36,791 --> 00:47:38,541 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 813 00:47:38,625 --> 00:47:40,458 [Valli] We listened for over two hours 814 00:47:40,541 --> 00:47:43,833 [Valli] as the doctors listed an endless account of diseases 815 00:47:43,916 --> 00:47:46,458 [Valli] caused just by living around the coal belt. 816 00:47:46,583 --> 00:47:49,083 [Valli] And we were talking about people in the millions. 817 00:47:49,250 --> 00:47:51,291 [Valli] So, the deaths are caused because of... 818 00:47:51,375 --> 00:47:53,500 [doctor] Environment is alien. It is not natural. 819 00:47:53,583 --> 00:47:56,916 The workers suffer from different aspects of diseases. 820 00:47:57,041 --> 00:47:58,875 They may be depressed most of them are suffering 821 00:47:58,958 --> 00:48:03,250 from peptic ulcer because of the hard job and frustration. 822 00:48:03,666 --> 00:48:06,333 And then, heart disease, hypertension is very common here. 823 00:48:06,416 --> 00:48:08,541 The immunity of the workers and immunity of the people 824 00:48:08,625 --> 00:48:10,583 in the surrounding area comes down. 825 00:48:10,791 --> 00:48:14,916 So auto-immune diseases... the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis is very high here. 826 00:48:15,583 --> 00:48:20,375 The incidence of leprosy, as I told you like tuberculosis has increased because... 827 00:48:20,458 --> 00:48:23,666 cancer is related to the duration of the dust exposure. 828 00:48:23,750 --> 00:48:29,250 -Yeah... it affects the GIT - our Gastro Intestinal Tract. 829 00:48:29,333 --> 00:48:31,958 -[Valli] The heavy metals? -Yes, heavy metals. It can 830 00:48:32,041 --> 00:48:35,875 lead to cancers of the GIT and of the kidney also. 831 00:48:35,958 --> 00:48:37,875 It leads to cancers of the urinary bladder... 832 00:48:37,958 --> 00:48:41,708 Nowadays in India, the average life span of an individual is around 73 years. 833 00:48:41,791 --> 00:48:44,666 You could die a decade or two before. 834 00:48:48,750 --> 00:48:51,333 [Valli] We headed out looking for underground mines. 835 00:48:51,458 --> 00:48:56,375 [Valli] We were also eager to see what groundwater really looked like down there. 836 00:48:56,791 --> 00:48:59,750 [Valli] You expect a mine and you find a cricket field. [laughs] 837 00:49:00,875 --> 00:49:02,875 [Valli] Really? Dhoni has played here? 838 00:49:02,958 --> 00:49:06,041 [doctor] Yes, before being selected in the Indian team. 839 00:49:06,916 --> 00:49:08,666 [doctor] We are going to look at this one. 840 00:49:09,250 --> 00:49:10,458 [Valli] Are we going in? 841 00:49:10,583 --> 00:49:11,416 [doctor] Yeah. 842 00:49:11,500 --> 00:49:13,333 -[doctor] If you want, we can. -[Valli] Yeah, yeah. Sure. 843 00:49:13,416 --> 00:49:16,166 [doctor] Don't mention the place, okay? [Valli] No, no. 844 00:49:16,458 --> 00:49:17,916 [doors closes] 845 00:49:18,458 --> 00:49:21,708 [doctor, in Hindi] It is barricaded. So, we can go till here, at least. 846 00:49:22,166 --> 00:49:24,250 [ground water falling] 847 00:49:24,833 --> 00:49:27,583 [miner, in Hindi] Don't go too near. You'll get a grease stain. 848 00:49:27,875 --> 00:49:29,041 [ground water falling] 849 00:49:29,583 --> 00:49:31,958 [Valli, in Hindi] Is this working now? Yes. 850 00:49:32,125 --> 00:49:34,541 [Valli] Really? Have people gone in there now? 851 00:49:34,625 --> 00:49:36,500 [miner] Yes. And they will go again. 852 00:49:36,583 --> 00:49:38,291 [Valli] What time will they go in? 853 00:49:44,416 --> 00:49:45,541 [Valli] Woo-hoo... 854 00:49:47,791 --> 00:49:49,041 [miners] It's like home inside. 855 00:49:49,125 --> 00:49:52,125 [miners] It is dark inside. Why don't you go for ten minutes? 856 00:49:52,291 --> 00:49:55,458 Go in. Go and look around for a few minutes. 857 00:49:55,958 --> 00:49:59,625 Manager sahib is sitting here. He will make it happen. No problem. 858 00:49:59,916 --> 00:50:01,416 [manager] Shall we go now? 859 00:50:01,583 --> 00:50:03,250 [manager] Keep this permit with you. 860 00:50:05,041 --> 00:50:07,083 [footsteps approaching] 861 00:50:07,958 --> 00:50:09,833 -[shrill bell] -[dog barking] 862 00:50:09,958 --> 00:50:11,416 [metal clang] 863 00:50:11,541 --> 00:50:14,625 [classical vocals] 864 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:16,333 [Valli] Okay. 865 00:50:16,416 --> 00:50:19,500 [classical vocals continue] 866 00:50:23,500 --> 00:50:31,125 [classical vocals continue] [ground water falling] 867 00:50:42,750 --> 00:50:45,375 [Pakhawaj drums] 868 00:50:46,208 --> 00:50:47,041 [cricket shot] 869 00:50:47,166 --> 00:50:48,375 [boy] Take it, Suresh! 870 00:50:48,458 --> 00:50:49,791 [boy] Ahaa. 871 00:50:52,166 --> 00:50:53,541 [knock knock] 872 00:50:55,208 --> 00:50:57,250 -Hello, Ram Singh, how are you? -Am good, sir. 873 00:50:57,333 --> 00:50:59,333 [ground water falling] 874 00:50:59,791 --> 00:51:02,375 [Ram Singh] Loader means... hauling coal. 875 00:51:02,500 --> 00:51:04,750 Our job is to haul coal. 876 00:51:05,916 --> 00:51:07,458 We haul coal. 877 00:51:07,541 --> 00:51:09,541 [metal clanging] 878 00:51:09,708 --> 00:51:12,500 [doctor] It is very slippery here. We have to be very careful. 879 00:51:12,666 --> 00:51:13,958 [ground water flowing] 880 00:51:14,041 --> 00:51:16,041 [Valli] How far does this go in? 881 00:51:16,458 --> 00:51:21,041 This goes in very far. We can even reach Bagdevi mines. 882 00:51:21,416 --> 00:51:24,750 We can go around 12-10 kms inside. 883 00:51:24,833 --> 00:51:27,000 [water pump humming] 884 00:51:27,208 --> 00:51:31,541 This is the water pump that operates 24/7. 885 00:51:31,625 --> 00:51:34,083 Otherwise, this whole mine will be submerged. 886 00:51:34,875 --> 00:51:39,250 [manager] 4000 gpm. This mine generates 887 00:51:39,333 --> 00:51:43,708 4000 gallons of water per minute. 888 00:51:43,791 --> 00:51:45,541 [water pump humming] 889 00:51:46,125 --> 00:51:48,500 [Marthand] When is the shift ending? [miner] 4 p.m. sir. 890 00:51:48,625 --> 00:51:49,541 -[Marthand] 4 p.m. -[miner] Yes, sir. 891 00:51:50,666 --> 00:51:55,458 [Valli] Did your father do the same work? [Ram Singh] No, he was a supervisor. 892 00:51:55,541 --> 00:51:57,166 [Valli] He was over the ground? 893 00:51:57,250 --> 00:51:59,458 [Ram Singh] He was both. Supervisor. [Valli] Yes. So... 894 00:51:59,583 --> 00:52:02,583 [Valli] What I mean to ask is, he was a miner. 895 00:52:02,666 --> 00:52:03,958 -[Valli] So are you. -[Ram Singh] Yes. 896 00:52:04,041 --> 00:52:05,708 [Valli] What do your kids plan to do? 897 00:52:05,916 --> 00:52:11,291 [Valli] What do they want to become? Do they say anything? 898 00:52:11,375 --> 00:52:13,208 [Marthand] Go to the city? 899 00:52:13,291 --> 00:52:16,666 Yes, sir. They have aspirations of doing things. 900 00:52:17,083 --> 00:52:19,666 It is up to them and what they want to do in the future. 901 00:52:21,416 --> 00:52:24,083 [classical vocals continue] 902 00:52:47,666 --> 00:52:50,291 [Raghu] I don't want to let him go underground. 903 00:52:50,791 --> 00:52:54,583 As soon as I get a job I will not let him go underground. 904 00:53:05,416 --> 00:53:08,375 [Ram Singh] I want them to study well and I 905 00:53:08,458 --> 00:53:11,125 will not want them to go into the mines. 906 00:53:12,833 --> 00:53:15,375 [Ram Singh] I wish they never go into the mines. 907 00:53:17,750 --> 00:53:20,458 Why should I care about the future generations? 908 00:53:20,708 --> 00:53:22,583 What have they ever done for me? 909 00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:26,458 -Groucho Marx. -Huh? 910 00:53:26,666 --> 00:53:28,500 Groucho Marx had said the same thing. 911 00:53:28,583 --> 00:53:31,541 He is right. Who is he? 912 00:53:31,958 --> 00:53:33,416 A comedian. 913 00:53:34,750 --> 00:53:36,416 Why are you doing this? 914 00:53:36,625 --> 00:53:38,083 This is such a great country. 915 00:53:38,166 --> 00:53:41,416 We have had thousands of great rulers. 916 00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:46,041 We invented yoga, zero, the calculator... 917 00:53:46,125 --> 00:53:47,791 Not the calculator. 918 00:53:48,375 --> 00:53:49,875 And now you give me this. 919 00:53:51,625 --> 00:53:55,125 No dams. No coal. No nuclear. 920 00:53:55,375 --> 00:53:58,750 You are taking me into a dark tunnel at the end of which there is no light. 921 00:54:00,166 --> 00:54:04,208 Actually, there is a light. A big, blinding light. 922 00:54:08,791 --> 00:54:10,333 [doorbell rings] 923 00:54:11,708 --> 00:54:12,875 [door creaks] 924 00:54:12,958 --> 00:54:15,291 [Tony] Energy is mostly about policy. 925 00:54:15,458 --> 00:54:17,625 It's not about technology, really. 926 00:54:17,708 --> 00:54:20,958 It's not about what makes sense for the population. 927 00:54:21,041 --> 00:54:23,791 Traditionally, it's been about policy. 928 00:54:23,875 --> 00:54:25,000 [paper rustles] 929 00:54:25,083 --> 00:54:30,125 [Tony] In 1991, India had 5 million phones. 930 00:54:30,208 --> 00:54:35,791 Today, there's 1 billion telephones in India. 931 00:54:36,041 --> 00:54:39,791 Just 20 years. Now, how did India do this? 932 00:54:39,875 --> 00:54:42,500 How much did it cost the government? 933 00:54:42,750 --> 00:54:44,500 What it cost the government? Nothing. 934 00:54:45,208 --> 00:54:49,375 All the government had to do is change the policies. 935 00:54:50,208 --> 00:54:55,083 And the beauty of cell phones is that it did not need a grid. 936 00:54:56,041 --> 00:54:59,083 And that's the same thing with solar. 937 00:54:59,166 --> 00:55:03,125 [upbeat music] 938 00:55:17,708 --> 00:55:22,291 [upbeat music continues] 939 00:55:45,125 --> 00:55:48,250 [Ashwin] There are larger societal benefits of renewable energy 940 00:55:48,333 --> 00:55:52,333 [Ashwin] which accrues to the society as a whole in terms of cleaner air, 941 00:55:52,416 --> 00:55:56,625 [Ashwin] in terms of energy security, in terms of lesser price volatility, 942 00:55:56,708 --> 00:55:59,541 because it does not have any fuel cost associated to it. 943 00:55:59,625 --> 00:56:03,000 So, once you install a wind turbine or a solar plant 944 00:56:03,083 --> 00:56:07,416 then for 20-25 years, you know it's going to give you energy at a fixed price. 945 00:56:07,500 --> 00:56:09,041 [man, in Hindi] First, we had a meeting in the village. 946 00:56:09,125 --> 00:56:11,416 [Valli, in Hindi] These panels... how much power do they generate? 947 00:56:11,500 --> 00:56:15,500 [man] There are 24 panels. Each panel is of 240 watts. 948 00:56:15,708 --> 00:56:20,666 These are 24 panels. 2 series of 12. 949 00:56:20,750 --> 00:56:25,375 [man] The distribution is done from... the control room. 950 00:56:25,458 --> 00:56:29,250 [man] The output that comes from the energy meter there... 951 00:56:29,375 --> 00:56:31,125 it's all underground. 952 00:56:31,208 --> 00:56:35,291 It comes through the ground till this meter. 953 00:56:35,750 --> 00:56:37,333 [Valli] So each house has a meter here? 954 00:56:37,416 --> 00:56:40,208 [man] Yes, each house has a different meter. 955 00:56:41,250 --> 00:56:43,000 [Valli] And the wires go to each house? 956 00:56:43,083 --> 00:56:49,250 [man] Yes, each house. Here's the input. And the output goes from here 957 00:56:49,333 --> 00:56:52,833 [man] and goes up above to each house. 958 00:56:54,208 --> 00:56:56,583 [Valli, in English] Is laying down a grid very expensive? 959 00:56:56,666 --> 00:56:59,458 But we have about 80-90% covered, right? 960 00:56:59,541 --> 00:57:03,833 Yeah, most of the villages... over 95% of the villages have the grid reaching there. 961 00:57:04,000 --> 00:57:05,500 [Ashwin] So, there's a distinction here. 962 00:57:05,583 --> 00:57:08,166 [Ashwin] So, when you say the electricity lines 963 00:57:08,250 --> 00:57:09,458 have reached the village. 964 00:57:09,583 --> 00:57:12,083 [Ashwin] It does not mean every house in that village has electricity. 965 00:57:12,166 --> 00:57:14,958 [Ashwin] And that's why, the discrepancy that 400 million Indians 966 00:57:15,041 --> 00:57:16,250 still do not have electricity. 967 00:57:16,625 --> 00:57:21,250 I think there's an opportunity here to leapfrog the grid entirely. 968 00:57:21,333 --> 00:57:25,958 And I believe that most Indians and most rural Indians 969 00:57:26,041 --> 00:57:30,458 their energy needs are going to be best served by clean distributed energy models. 970 00:57:30,541 --> 00:57:35,458 Instead of centralized generation and expensive distribution and transmission. 971 00:57:37,291 --> 00:57:41,208 Local generation and local distribution is really the model. 972 00:57:42,541 --> 00:57:44,833 [teacher] It's a common myth that solar power 973 00:57:44,916 --> 00:57:46,750 [teacher] is only for... you know one or two lights. 974 00:57:46,833 --> 00:57:49,208 [teacher] We have our whole school 80+ classrooms. 975 00:57:49,458 --> 00:57:55,416 [teacher] More than 4,500 children and the area is over eight acre area. 976 00:57:55,500 --> 00:57:59,250 [teacher] And we have all that being powered by our solar power plant. 977 00:57:59,333 --> 00:58:02,916 [teacher] We have ACs, we have lifts 978 00:58:03,208 --> 00:58:07,791 and have close to two to three fans per classroom. 979 00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:11,875 [teacher] More than three tube lights per classroom. It's just not that 980 00:58:11,958 --> 00:58:14,625 you're just lighting one light or one fan with solar 981 00:58:14,708 --> 00:58:16,791 but the whole school is actually powered with solar. 982 00:58:16,958 --> 00:58:22,208 We have more than six blocks here which are taking power from the plant. 983 00:58:22,291 --> 00:58:24,333 The plant is intelligent enough to decide 984 00:58:24,708 --> 00:58:27,125 if it's a cloudy day then we take it from BESCOM. 985 00:58:27,208 --> 00:58:30,541 [teacher] And when the load is less and we're generating good enough, 986 00:58:30,625 --> 00:58:32,666 [teacher] we export it back to BESCOM 987 00:58:33,208 --> 00:58:37,166 and BESCOM compensates that in our next electricity bill. 988 00:58:40,458 --> 00:58:45,166 [Valli] Oh, wow. It spreads out! [Teacher] Yes, totally. 400 panels. 989 00:58:45,583 --> 00:58:47,083 Even a first standard child will know. 990 00:58:47,166 --> 00:58:49,166 [teacher] But a ninth standard child would probably give you more details on it. 991 00:58:49,250 --> 00:58:50,750 [teacher] But everybody is aware that 992 00:58:50,833 --> 00:58:52,875 there is something like this in the school. 993 00:58:52,958 --> 00:58:54,958 [teacher] Probably once a week, the grade comes 994 00:58:55,041 --> 00:58:58,291 sees everything and you know actually experiences, 995 00:58:58,375 --> 00:59:01,041 because we believe that it's just not talking 996 00:59:01,125 --> 00:59:03,625 we have to actually show them everything. 997 00:59:04,500 --> 00:59:08,666 [Sunita] If you really want solar to become part of the energy future of India, 998 00:59:08,791 --> 00:59:13,125 then you have to think about how you can have decentralized solar projects work. 999 00:59:13,208 --> 00:59:17,791 But then the challenge comes is that nobody has an effective model. 1000 00:59:17,958 --> 00:59:23,125 Because everybody has done solar energy in small little bits. They're cute solutions. 1001 00:59:23,250 --> 00:59:26,291 Okay. But not of the scale that you need them to be. 1002 00:59:26,458 --> 00:59:29,458 And so now the big challenge is to scale it up. 1003 00:59:29,541 --> 00:59:33,541 So, think of the grid as the Internet... 1004 00:59:33,625 --> 00:59:37,291 where anybody can come in and be an Internet service provider. 1005 00:59:37,375 --> 00:59:40,541 where anyone can be a user and anyone can be a seller. 1006 00:59:41,291 --> 00:59:45,833 If you do that if you think about the grid in an open way, 1007 00:59:46,375 --> 00:59:49,583 you are basically opening up the energy business, 1008 00:59:49,666 --> 00:59:51,666 [Tony] to a million entrepreneurs 1009 00:59:51,750 --> 00:59:56,791 [Tony] to come in and put up solar on a billion rooftops. 1010 00:59:56,958 --> 01:00:00,750 [Tony] Provide storage, provide energy generation and sell it. 1011 01:00:00,833 --> 01:00:02,166 [Tony] And also plug it into the grid. 1012 01:00:02,250 --> 01:00:03,666 What are they doing? 1013 01:00:04,833 --> 01:00:06,000 This is madness. So much destruction. 1014 01:00:06,083 --> 01:00:10,291 This will be the end of life. The end of the universe. Everything. 1015 01:00:10,500 --> 01:00:11,333 Why, what happened? 1016 01:00:11,416 --> 01:00:13,791 The Sun. The Sun is the source of life. 1017 01:00:14,666 --> 01:00:17,250 And here these crazy fellows are sucking out all its energy. 1018 01:00:17,333 --> 01:00:18,791 This will be catastrophic. 1019 01:00:18,875 --> 01:00:20,416 [Valli] Calm down, Naseer. [Naseer] You got to stop them. No, no, no. 1020 01:00:20,500 --> 01:00:23,166 [Valli] Nothing of that sort will happen [Naseer] How do you know how? 1021 01:00:23,500 --> 01:00:28,208 Well... the solar panels... look how shiny they are. 1022 01:00:28,583 --> 01:00:30,958 They are going to reflect it all back. 1023 01:00:31,708 --> 01:00:36,541 These solar panels will keep the Sun alive and burning for billions of years. 1024 01:00:38,833 --> 01:00:40,000 They are shiny. 1025 01:00:42,416 --> 01:00:44,791 Just make sure they give it all back to the Sun. 1026 01:00:44,875 --> 01:00:47,666 After all, we have think of future generations also. 1027 01:00:48,416 --> 01:00:49,833 You're right. 1028 01:00:50,041 --> 01:00:53,500 Where are the markets which will actually reach energy to poor? 1029 01:00:53,583 --> 01:00:56,291 If the markets existed to reach energy to poor, 1030 01:00:56,375 --> 01:00:58,333 you wouldn't have millions in darkness today. 1031 01:00:58,416 --> 01:01:01,916 So, the first thing that governments should do... 1032 01:01:02,000 --> 01:01:06,500 is to stop subsidizing and protecting big energy companies. 1033 01:01:06,583 --> 01:01:08,416 Stop subsidizing. Um. 1034 01:01:08,875 --> 01:01:10,541 I'll give you one example. 1035 01:01:10,625 --> 01:01:14,666 India today, according to the International Monetary Fund 1036 01:01:14,875 --> 01:01:18,541 um, gives 30 billion dollars a year 1037 01:01:18,625 --> 01:01:21,333 to the fossil fuel industry in subsidies, right? 1038 01:01:21,416 --> 01:01:24,666 If you just stop subsidizing fossil fuel 1039 01:01:24,750 --> 01:01:27,083 and put that money into solar, 1040 01:01:27,208 --> 01:01:30,750 you would give 500 million people in India... 1041 01:01:31,250 --> 01:01:35,416 access to power for the next few decades, right? 1042 01:01:36,791 --> 01:01:39,791 [introspective music] 1043 01:01:39,875 --> 01:01:42,125 [Eklavya] Now, if we only generate this... 1044 01:01:42,375 --> 01:01:45,125 [Valli] We were speaking with renewable energy entrepreneurs 1045 01:01:45,208 --> 01:01:48,041 [Valli] authors, manufacturers and planners 1046 01:01:48,166 --> 01:01:51,250 [Valli] an excited bunch of people who were looking into a future 1047 01:01:51,333 --> 01:01:55,666 [Valli] where our climate and freshwater systems could heal and sustain themselves. 1048 01:01:56,125 --> 01:01:59,541 [Valli] In most of our conversations, one common thought was 1049 01:01:59,625 --> 01:02:02,041 [Valli] if our governments have the political will, 1050 01:02:02,125 --> 01:02:03,958 [Valli] to make the right choices now, 1051 01:02:04,083 --> 01:02:06,833 [Valli] the switch to clean energy could happen very quickly. 1052 01:02:06,916 --> 01:02:08,458 [Valli] What are the big policy changes 1053 01:02:08,583 --> 01:02:11,125 you want to see any government make to boost solar? 1054 01:02:11,250 --> 01:02:13,458 Get out of the energy business. 1055 01:02:13,583 --> 01:02:19,375 There is no reason, today, in modern energy. 1056 01:02:19,458 --> 01:02:23,125 Modern energy is about technology. 1057 01:02:23,208 --> 01:02:27,833 [Tony] It's closer to telecommunications 1058 01:02:27,916 --> 01:02:31,666 or cell phones or internet provision. 1059 01:02:31,791 --> 01:02:35,500 [Tony] In the 20th century, there were a lot of governments 1060 01:02:35,583 --> 01:02:39,583 [Tony] who were in the telecom business, who were in the telephony business, 1061 01:02:39,791 --> 01:02:43,833 [Tony] but now there aren't because it's essentially a technology business. 1062 01:02:43,916 --> 01:02:47,958 [Tony] So, the government should get out of the energy business. 1063 01:02:48,041 --> 01:02:50,083 It should not own the transmission. 1064 01:02:50,166 --> 01:02:51,791 It should not own the distribution. 1065 01:02:51,875 --> 01:02:53,875 It should not own the grid. 1066 01:02:54,041 --> 01:02:56,000 [Brad] They are publicly traded companies 1067 01:02:56,125 --> 01:02:59,000 but they're not used to really being dynamic 1068 01:02:59,083 --> 01:03:04,708 and competitive and changing the way... people do in the technology business. 1069 01:03:04,791 --> 01:03:07,958 Where the half-life of a product is 18 months 1070 01:03:08,041 --> 01:03:09,625 so you're constantly thinking forward. 1071 01:03:09,708 --> 01:03:12,208 These businesses are like moving the Titanic. 1072 01:03:12,291 --> 01:03:15,625 They don't even steer. They just do the same thing. 1073 01:03:15,833 --> 01:03:21,208 Either you're a government agency or you're a for-profit company. 1074 01:03:21,291 --> 01:03:22,125 You can't be both. 1075 01:03:22,208 --> 01:03:24,750 [Valli] For solar entrepreneurs, government 1076 01:03:24,833 --> 01:03:26,958 policy affects real issues on the ground. 1077 01:03:27,041 --> 01:03:28,666 Unless you have total clarity 1078 01:03:28,750 --> 01:03:31,250 you have to kind of figure out... 1079 01:03:31,333 --> 01:03:34,750 okay this is what I want to give to these people. 1080 01:03:34,833 --> 01:03:38,208 this is how much conventional electricity I have right now. 1081 01:03:38,416 --> 01:03:41,291 And this is how much I need to supplement it through renewable sources. 1082 01:03:41,791 --> 01:03:44,000 And therefore I have an integrated plan. 1083 01:03:44,083 --> 01:03:45,375 Otherwise, how will it work? 1084 01:03:45,458 --> 01:03:48,125 If you say that okay you go and do renewables and then 1085 01:03:48,500 --> 01:03:49,875 two years later somebody else will say no 1086 01:03:49,958 --> 01:03:51,500 now let's improve the conventional. 1087 01:03:52,250 --> 01:03:54,666 It's a recipe for disaster, right? 1088 01:03:54,750 --> 01:03:57,916 Because, there's always this fear that if I go in put in and tomorrow 1089 01:03:58,208 --> 01:04:00,583 if some person comes in and says something else... 1090 01:04:01,416 --> 01:04:04,333 a system which is going to recover its money for me in 25 years. 1091 01:04:04,916 --> 01:04:06,500 You need policy certainty. 1092 01:04:06,583 --> 01:04:08,500 [Valli] Have you heard about the solar cooker? 1093 01:04:08,791 --> 01:04:11,708 The one that works with the sun. 1094 01:04:11,916 --> 01:04:13,916 -[Valli] Yes, yes. -Lot of light. 1095 01:04:15,375 --> 01:04:20,083 [Valli] Renewable energy today is cheaper than electricity provided by the grid 1096 01:04:20,166 --> 01:04:22,916 [Valli] in hundreds of markets around the world. 1097 01:04:23,000 --> 01:04:27,291 [Valli] Even with all the subsidies that conventional energy industry gets 1098 01:04:27,375 --> 01:04:29,333 [Valli] solar and wind come out cheaper. 1099 01:04:29,416 --> 01:04:32,000 You are seeing a huge movement of people 1100 01:04:32,083 --> 01:04:35,208 that are using water as the main argument 1101 01:04:35,291 --> 01:04:37,916 against coal and fossil fuel industries, 1102 01:04:38,041 --> 01:04:40,666 not actually climate change or pollution. 1103 01:04:40,750 --> 01:04:43,541 We're at a point in human history now 1104 01:04:43,625 --> 01:04:48,333 where we cannot afford to continue along this path of dirty energy. 1105 01:04:48,958 --> 01:04:52,041 We see the many ways in which it's actually 1106 01:04:52,125 --> 01:04:55,333 undermining our progress, undermining our prosperity. 1107 01:04:56,166 --> 01:05:00,666 100% renewable energy really must be the goal. 1108 01:05:00,958 --> 01:05:03,333 Really must be the goal. 1109 01:05:03,708 --> 01:05:08,166 [soothing music] 1110 01:05:22,333 --> 01:05:26,375 This fan will keep us cool during global warming? 1111 01:05:27,458 --> 01:05:32,375 This is a wind turbine. It generates electricity from the wind. 1112 01:05:34,125 --> 01:05:38,833 From wind? And who will blow the wind towards this big fan? 1113 01:05:41,416 --> 01:05:42,833 It's a mystery. 1114 01:05:48,416 --> 01:05:51,958 [soothing music continues] 1115 01:05:54,250 --> 01:05:57,041 [Valli] We seemed to have come to the end of one road 1116 01:05:57,125 --> 01:05:58,958 [Valli] and the beginning of another. 1117 01:05:59,916 --> 01:06:01,875 [Valli] Clearly, we had a choice. 1118 01:06:07,708 --> 01:06:09,875 [Vandana] I think in every sphere of life, 1119 01:06:09,958 --> 01:06:11,750 [Vandana] earth democracy means 1120 01:06:11,833 --> 01:06:15,875 [Vandana] that wherever the earth provides the resources 1121 01:06:16,083 --> 01:06:18,583 [Vandana] and wherever people have a need, 1122 01:06:18,666 --> 01:06:21,125 [Vandana] whether it be for food or water or energy 1123 01:06:21,208 --> 01:06:24,291 it be as decentralized as possible. 1124 01:06:25,250 --> 01:06:29,333 We can't let our limitations be our convenience. 1125 01:06:29,416 --> 01:06:31,500 [Parineeta] It's our limitation that we can't study 1126 01:06:31,583 --> 01:06:34,416 [Parineeta] or we can't respond to the daily nature of the river flows. 1127 01:06:40,666 --> 01:06:42,291 [Shripad] If you define your basic objective 1128 01:06:42,375 --> 01:06:43,750 of the power sector saying that first I want 1129 01:06:44,083 --> 01:06:47,125 [Shripad] everybody to have electricity for their basic needs. 1130 01:06:47,208 --> 01:06:49,291 Then the whole sector would be structured differently. 1131 01:06:49,375 --> 01:06:51,500 Solar is the solution of the past. 1132 01:06:51,583 --> 01:06:54,166 Solar has been the solution of the present 1133 01:06:54,250 --> 01:06:56,250 and solar is a solution of the future. 1134 01:06:56,708 --> 01:07:01,458 [soaring music] 1135 01:07:07,375 --> 01:07:09,958 What I know is we humans are 1136 01:07:10,458 --> 01:07:13,916 way more powerful than we want to believe. 1137 01:07:14,041 --> 01:07:17,291 We all like being small. We like having enemies. 1138 01:07:17,375 --> 01:07:19,208 Look what they're doing. 1139 01:07:19,291 --> 01:07:21,916 We like being able to point fingers because 1140 01:07:22,000 --> 01:07:23,875 then I don't have to look in the mirror. 1141 01:07:24,083 --> 01:07:26,208 Looking in the mirror is a lot scarier. 1142 01:07:26,291 --> 01:07:28,583 Being accountable is a lot harder. 1143 01:07:29,666 --> 01:07:33,708 [soaring music continues] 1144 01:08:23,000 --> 01:08:24,875 [loud knocking] 1145 01:08:26,166 --> 01:08:27,708 [loud knocking] 1146 01:08:28,791 --> 01:08:29,958 [in Marathi] What is going on here? 1147 01:08:30,083 --> 01:08:31,208 [in Hindi] What is going on? 1148 01:08:31,625 --> 01:08:33,500 Who is this Valli and Marthand? 1149 01:08:33,583 --> 01:08:35,041 That's us. 1150 01:08:35,458 --> 01:08:36,625 Hey, what are you doing? 1151 01:08:36,708 --> 01:08:38,333 You have been called to the police station. 1152 01:08:38,458 --> 01:08:41,000 You are making a film? And that too against the nation? 1153 01:08:41,083 --> 01:08:43,875 We are making a film alright, but how is that against the nation? 1154 01:08:44,083 --> 01:08:46,166 Naseer you've got to tell them. You've just seen the film. 1155 01:08:46,250 --> 01:08:49,291 No, I haven't seen anything. It is not my film. 1156 01:08:49,375 --> 01:08:51,500 It is about giving power to the people. 1157 01:08:51,583 --> 01:08:52,416 Well... 1158 01:08:52,500 --> 01:08:55,000 Okay, you don't get involved in this. 1159 01:08:55,125 --> 01:08:56,375 Let's go to the police station. 1160 01:08:56,458 --> 01:08:57,666 This is not done. 1161 01:08:57,750 --> 01:08:59,250 -Let's go. -Let's go. 1162 01:09:00,000 --> 01:09:01,333 Naseer, do something. 1163 01:09:01,416 --> 01:09:03,708 This... check this hair clip. 1164 01:09:04,125 --> 01:09:05,291 Let's go. 1165 01:09:05,625 --> 01:09:07,458 Not my film. I don't know anything. 1166 01:09:07,958 --> 01:09:11,666 [footsteps fading out] 1167 01:09:13,666 --> 01:09:14,958 [door shuts] 1168 01:09:26,708 --> 01:09:31,000 [street noise] 1169 01:09:42,833 --> 01:09:43,666 [door shuts] 1170 01:09:43,750 --> 01:09:49,041 [reflective music] 1171 01:09:52,958 --> 01:09:54,916 [reflective music continues] 1172 01:10:03,333 --> 01:10:07,583 [Ratna] ...talk for hours and at the close, at last the elephant arose 1173 01:10:07,666 --> 01:10:11,416 [Ratna] and with a modest trumpet call drew the attention of them all. 1174 01:10:11,500 --> 01:10:15,291 [Naseer] O Beasts of Bingle gathered around 1175 01:10:16,916 --> 01:10:18,458 though in our search for common ground. 1176 01:10:18,541 --> 01:10:24,166 [Naseer] I would not dream of unanimity at least our views may reach proximity. 1177 01:10:25,083 --> 01:10:29,416 [Naseer] I speak to you as one whose plan has served 1178 01:10:29,500 --> 01:10:32,208 and therefore studied man. 1179 01:10:33,583 --> 01:10:38,791 [Naseer] He is a creature mild and vicious practical minded and capricious. 1180 01:10:39,000 --> 01:10:44,000 [Naseer] Loving and brutal, sane and mad, the good as puzzling as the bad, 1181 01:10:44,583 --> 01:10:50,625 the sticky center of this mess is an uneasy selfishness. 1182 01:10:51,291 --> 01:10:57,708 He rips our flesh and tears our skin for cloth without for food within. 1183 01:10:58,416 --> 01:11:04,375 The leopard spots his to wear our ivory unknots his hair. 1184 01:11:04,541 --> 01:11:09,041 The tragopan falls to his gun, he shoots the flying fox for fun. 1185 01:11:09,458 --> 01:11:11,500 [Naseer] The black bear dances to his whim, 1186 01:11:11,583 --> 01:11:15,125 my own tame cousins slave for him. 1187 01:11:16,333 --> 01:11:21,041 Yet, we who give him work and food have never earned his gratitude. 1188 01:11:22,166 --> 01:11:28,666 [Naseer] He grasps our substance as of right to quench and spur his appetite. 1189 01:11:29,291 --> 01:11:34,041 [Naseer] Nor will he grant us truce or space to rest secure in any place. 1190 01:11:34,875 --> 01:11:38,916 Sometimes he worships us as gods or sings of us at Eisteddfods 1191 01:11:39,000 --> 01:11:43,458 or fashions fables, myths and stories to celebrate our deeds and glories, 1192 01:11:43,541 --> 01:11:48,791 and yet... despite this fertile fuss when has he ever cared for us. 1193 01:11:49,875 --> 01:11:56,291 [Naseer] He sees the planet as his fief where every hair or leaf or drop, 1194 01:11:56,375 --> 01:12:03,291 or seed or blade or grain of sand is destined for his mouth and hand. 1195 01:12:03,666 --> 01:12:10,041 If he is thirsty, we must thirst for of all creatures, man comes first. 1196 01:12:10,291 --> 01:12:16,041 If he needs room, then we must fly and if he hungers, we must die. 1197 01:12:17,625 --> 01:12:22,916 Think what will happen, when his scheme to tame our valley and our stream 1198 01:12:23,000 --> 01:12:28,125 begins to thrust its way across these gentle slopes of fern and moss 1199 01:12:28,208 --> 01:12:31,583 with axe, explosive and machine. 1200 01:12:32,875 --> 01:12:35,208 [Naseer] Since rhododendron logs burn green 1201 01:12:35,291 --> 01:12:37,083 they will all be chopped for firewood 1202 01:12:37,166 --> 01:12:39,458 or logged and smuggled out for good. 1203 01:12:40,416 --> 01:12:42,791 [Naseer] As every bird and mammal knows 1204 01:12:43,041 --> 01:12:47,000 [Ratna and Naseer] when the road comes the forest goes. 1205 01:12:48,083 --> 01:12:50,041 And let me say this to the trout... 1206 01:12:50,666 --> 01:12:53,416 the bamboo will be slashed no doubt and what the tragopan and I 1207 01:12:53,500 --> 01:12:58,583 delight to eat will burn and die. But what will happen to your stream? 1208 01:12:59,541 --> 01:13:03,750 [Naseer] Before the reservoir, your dream of endless space can come about... 1209 01:13:03,833 --> 01:13:07,125 the soot and filth will snuff you out. 1210 01:13:07,791 --> 01:13:11,750 [Naseer] What tolls for us is your own 1211 01:13:12,583 --> 01:13:14,875 bell and similarly, let me tell... 1212 01:13:14,958 --> 01:13:19,625 the leopards who may fancy here, a forest full of fleeing deer, 1213 01:13:19,708 --> 01:13:25,250 after your happy passing slaughter, you too will have to flee from water. 1214 01:13:25,333 --> 01:13:27,458 [Naseer] You will be homeless like us all, 1215 01:13:28,500 --> 01:13:32,208 it is this fate we must forestall. 1216 01:13:33,833 --> 01:13:39,000 So, let me say to every single endangered denizen of Bingle, 1217 01:13:39,083 --> 01:13:41,916 we must unite in fur and feather, 1218 01:13:42,333 --> 01:13:45,708 [Ratna and Naseer] for we will live or die together. 1219 01:13:46,916 --> 01:13:51,208 [free flowing water] 101139

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