What is Hydro Energy :Hydro energy is simply energy that is taken from water and converted to electricity.

Hydro energy can be obtained by using many methods of capture. The most common method of using energy from water is a hydroelectric dam, where water coming down through an area causes turbines to rotate and the energy is captured to run a generator. Power can also be generated from the energy of tidal forces or wave power, which uses the energy created by waves.

How it works
A dam is built to trap water, usually in a valley where there is an existing lake. Water is allowed to flow through tunnels in the dam, to turn turbines and thus drive generators.

Notice that the dam is much thicker at the bottom than at the top, because the pressure of the water increases with depth.
Hydro-electric power stations can produce a great deal of power very cheaply.

Need for Hydro Power

Hydro power has benefits in terms of the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution as compared to conventional power systems. Hydro-electric power stations can begin generating electricity very quickly. Useful for responding to sudden increases in demand for electricity . no fuel is needed, fuel prices are not a problem. The cost of generating electricity is also relatively small and hydro dams can last for many decades before needing major capital works. The flexibility of hydro power is a large benefit.

Advantages
Once the dam is built, the energy is virtually free. No waste or pollution produced. Much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power. Water can be stored above the dam ready to cope with peaks in demand. Hydro-electric power stations can increase to full power very quickly, unlike other power stations. Electricity can be generated constantly.

Disadvantages
The dams are very expensive to build. However, many dams are also used for flood control or irrigation, so building costs can be shared. Building a large dam will flood a very large area upstream, causing problems for animals that used to live there. Finding a suitable site can be difficult the impact on residents and the environment may be unacceptable. Water quality and quantity downstream can be affected, which can have an impact on plant life.

Hydro Energy in India

India is blessed with immense amount of hydro-electric potential and ranks 5th in terms of exploitable hydro-potential on global scenario. As per assessment made by CEA, India is endowed with economically exploitable hydro-power potential to the tune of 1 48 700 MW of installed capacity. The basin wise assessed potential is as under :Basin/Rivers Probable Installed Capacity (MW) Indus Basin 33,832 Ganga Basin 20,711 Central Indian River system 4,152 Western Flowing Rivers of southern India 9,430 Eastern Flowing Rivers of southern India 14,511 Brahmaputra Basin 66,065 Total 1,48,701 In addition, 56 number of pumped storage projects have also been identified with probable installed capacity of 94 000 MW.

In addition to this, hydro-potential from small, mini & micro schemes has been estimated as 6 782 MW from 1 512 sites. Thus, in totality India is endowed with hydro-potential of about 2 50 000 MW.

Total Installed Capacity of India

Major Hydropower Units In India

The Future for Hydro

As a cheap, renewable source of energy with negligible environmental impacts, micro-hydro power has an important role to play in future . It is an attractive alternative to diesel systems in developing countries as a means of achieving rural electrification. The growing awareness of the negative environmental effects surrounding large hydro has stimulated much interest in smaller installations, namely in the micro hydro arena.

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Aravind Elizabeth Fairose joseph