Some critical information Anil, unsettling but important for securing future growth. The attached video, adds another dimension to the complex catch 22 situation. Personally, I feel that India should be concentrating on the problem of recharging ground water levels, as explained in the video, as it will affect the livelihoods of farmers and the economy. It has been now concluded that ground water levels affect warming and environmental degradation leading to air and water pollution. The greed to earn well by exporting Basmati rice is also leading to depletion of ground water in Punjab and Haryana, which have an annual rainfall, that is more suitable for growing wheat and pulses. The problem of single use plastic choking the soil and water, in most of the world, should also be given top priority, alongside investing in rain water harvesting. Let China and other big powers fight for control of "green minerals" that will lead to dominance in alternative energy sources. India will will be able to manage and discover its own sources of the coveted "green minerals" in due course. Reports of acid rain in China, where rare earth minerals were mined are there and the plight of unemployed graduates in China are doing the rounds. Any growth is good if it is people friendly. Look forward to your enlightening updates.
Thank you for your thoughts. Absolutely, charging ground water is an imperative not an option. On the choice of growing basmati, the farmers are just following their commercial instincts to maximise profits. In my view getting them to pivot has to be through inducements, knowledge sharing and so on. But, take your point that growing rice is threatening the source of their livelihood.
And yes, unlike in the case of crude oil, there are and will be alternatives to existing class of green minerals. But that would take time. Till such time India will have to negotiate the terrain and China's hegemony in green minerals.
Thanks Anil for raising this important issue. You have covered everything to be analysed on this issue. To resolve the stranglehold of China, we need either alternative technologies like the one based on sodium and hydrogen based power or we may even witness geopolitical shifts wherein Chinese would be ousted from Africa and South America. USA will not hesitate to use its old tricks of the trade to change the regimes anywhere!! And why not, if it is in the larger interest of the world at large!!! But next few years are challenging. Of course, if India finds its own minerals either on land or under sea, then it may be a different scenario for us. Like recent find of Lithium in Kashmir. We must reactivate our Rare Earths Ltd PSU which was rarely working until now!!!
Thank you so much Surendra. Yes, the thing with green minerals, unlike in the case of oil, is that options will evolve. And absolutely, India needs to revive the rare earths enterprise. The tragedy of India is that it has always had a good vision--like setting up a rare earths subsidiary. Inability to execute the vision has ensured the idea is still born.
Some critical information Anil, unsettling but important for securing future growth. The attached video, adds another dimension to the complex catch 22 situation. Personally, I feel that India should be concentrating on the problem of recharging ground water levels, as explained in the video, as it will affect the livelihoods of farmers and the economy. It has been now concluded that ground water levels affect warming and environmental degradation leading to air and water pollution. The greed to earn well by exporting Basmati rice is also leading to depletion of ground water in Punjab and Haryana, which have an annual rainfall, that is more suitable for growing wheat and pulses. The problem of single use plastic choking the soil and water, in most of the world, should also be given top priority, alongside investing in rain water harvesting. Let China and other big powers fight for control of "green minerals" that will lead to dominance in alternative energy sources. India will will be able to manage and discover its own sources of the coveted "green minerals" in due course. Reports of acid rain in China, where rare earth minerals were mined are there and the plight of unemployed graduates in China are doing the rounds. Any growth is good if it is people friendly. Look forward to your enlightening updates.
Dear Gautam,
Thank you for your thoughts. Absolutely, charging ground water is an imperative not an option. On the choice of growing basmati, the farmers are just following their commercial instincts to maximise profits. In my view getting them to pivot has to be through inducements, knowledge sharing and so on. But, take your point that growing rice is threatening the source of their livelihood.
And yes, unlike in the case of crude oil, there are and will be alternatives to existing class of green minerals. But that would take time. Till such time India will have to negotiate the terrain and China's hegemony in green minerals.
Tricky terrain for India.
Look forward to your continued participation.
Best
Anil
Thanks Anil for raising this important issue. You have covered everything to be analysed on this issue. To resolve the stranglehold of China, we need either alternative technologies like the one based on sodium and hydrogen based power or we may even witness geopolitical shifts wherein Chinese would be ousted from Africa and South America. USA will not hesitate to use its old tricks of the trade to change the regimes anywhere!! And why not, if it is in the larger interest of the world at large!!! But next few years are challenging. Of course, if India finds its own minerals either on land or under sea, then it may be a different scenario for us. Like recent find of Lithium in Kashmir. We must reactivate our Rare Earths Ltd PSU which was rarely working until now!!!
Thank you so much Surendra. Yes, the thing with green minerals, unlike in the case of oil, is that options will evolve. And absolutely, India needs to revive the rare earths enterprise. The tragedy of India is that it has always had a good vision--like setting up a rare earths subsidiary. Inability to execute the vision has ensured the idea is still born.
Looking forward to your continued participation.
Best
Anil