Art of Life

"One can live in a number of ways, and no one can be a judge of how life is to be lived. But there are times when we may find that life itself has become an art; the entire process of living is transformed from something mechanical and separate to ourselves to something which is deeply personal and conducted with the finesse of an artist. Our attitude which may have been complacent at one time, may at another become ever-changing and persevering, similar to the persistence of the painter stroke until he arrives at the perfection that he seeks. Along the way, much happens & much is learnt. In the end we have the masterpiece of the realization. "

"In the Art of Life, we will introduce such instances where a perception, an attitude, an insight, an experience, can bring out some beautiful aspects of human nature. Each tale may not be true in the strictest sense of the word or that which is apparent to the eye and understood by the mind, but underneath the surface, in subtle terms it explores and expresses itself, and lets out the fragrance of its inner truth for all to take in."

-Anonymous

http://nextfuture.sriaurobindosociety.org.in/may08/nf_home.htm

Facilitating Locals to Develop Micro Hydro

One key aspect of the Purna Guma micro hydro is the creation of local developers. There are two main lessons that has led Gram Vikas to facilitating the creation of local micro hydro developers:

1. The previous projects were done using developers from Delhi and Bangalore. Once the developers receive their payments, they do not stick around, especially in malaria infested Kalahandi, Orissa. They are always willing to have assistance by phone/email...but in the end it is really discouraging for villagers to keep trying to troubleshoot when they haven't been given any training. For instance, we've had to fix the Karlapat gate valve on our own multiple times since its commissioning 1.5 yrs ago. A few months ago the shaft of one of the turbines had sheared, with no clear explanation. It took 2 months to repair. Such events affect the people's faith in the technology.

2. In the past GV micro hydro staff have been part of a special project syndrome. Since the micro hydro projects are pilot projects, they are seen as very special. Indeed 24hrs of clean electricity is special, but in the case of our staff, he feels he has to prove what he knows. In reacting to their insecurities, GV micro hydro staff failed to facilitate villagers to hold their own meetings, to do simple trouble shooting, and simply to emotionally own the system. In the end the staff leaves because he has come down with malaria too many times, and villagers have no choice but to take on the staff's technical and social duties. The villagers that have taken on the responsibilty of keeping the system alive are a handful of individuals which were voted to be the micro hydro committee. In the end, when the entire village hasn't gone thru the process of taking managment and technical responsibilities gradually, they end up chastising the committee and viewing Gram Vikas as an electric company that maintains the micro hydro. We have worked hard in the previous project to break this cycle of shunning responsibility...still, often the old mindset creeps in.

Having learned from the above two lessons, Gram Vikas is taking on a new approach to community-based micro hydro in the case of the Purna Guma project:

1. Design and manufacture the turbine and controller locally

With the help of Practical Action, we are transferring the know-how of building micro hydro turbine and controller to Bhavanipatna, a town 1hr away from the micro hydro villages. No more need to eternally wait for Bangalore/Delhi based developers for repair work. The villagers can take a bus to Bhavanipatna and meet the manufacturer in person. We've come across a very sincere and excited machine shop owner in Bhavanipatna, Pobitro Dada, who I am already seeing blossom into a local turbine developer.

He has an electrical engineer friend who we are hoping will learn how to build controllers. The only remaining task to localize is the civil works. Vaishnav Singh from the Karlapat system can transform into a civil works expert, already being involved with Purna Guma construction and local government buildings.

2. Faciliate mentoring between experienced villages and new villages

Vaishnav Singh and Anand Singh from the Karlapat system have been mentoring Purna Guma from the early stages. Essentially the social mobilizing that was done by GV staff is now being done by local leaders. It has worked wonderfully, especially since Vaishnav and Anand have gone thru difficult times and know in hindsight how certain processes, e.g. group meetings, corpus collection, recording trouble shooting in log books, etc. can chance the course of a micro hydro project.

The vision is to have the social and technical leaders of each micro hydro project form a cooperative. This would allow locals, who have no choice but to live in these remote areas, to drive the development process and also can make an income by implementing micro hydro for their region's villages. There is a new site in sight--Pui Guda. Beautiful dark rock and falling water. I am hoping Vaishnav Babu will form a team and will implement the project on his own.

3. Faciliate the community to manage and drive the construction process

Despite Vaishnav Babu serving as the consultant of the civil works at Purna Guma, the community is blessed with 3 hamlets that each have very pro-active leaders who always thinks 2 steps ahead. There have been so many pleasing instances in the last 2 months (the construction period) where Purna Guma has shown that they will lead their own construction. While I continue to try and convince Karlapat to bury it's penstock (it's been 2 years!), Purna Guma leaders were lecturing to us about making the sure pipe is buried to prevent damage from UV rays and falling rock. In addition to Purna Guma having innate qualities of leading the project, not having any GV engineer on-site has made a huge difference. Although I have an engineering degree, Purna Guma is the first time I've managed any hands-on construction. The villagers see how little I know...and they know there is no one else. So they pester Vaishnav Babu and the masons for answers. They also learn from their own experience. The best part has been to watch them thru their mistakes. They never get discouraged; they simply try again and again until they get it right. For instance, we were measuring and cutting rods for the channel. They knew how long the rods needed to be, but they kept mis-reading the measuring tape which did not consecutively mark inches (e.g. the 13th inch was labled as 1", since the foot was already noted). Jay Singh Babu, the best of the leaders, kept making the same mistake...but not once did he get upset or give up. ...I guess surviving in the forest gives such people great energy to be persistent.

Penstock woes...or opportunities?

Based on my experience with Gram Vikas' micro hydro, I would say that the penstock laying of a micro hydro system is the most challenging task of implementing a micro hydro system. Severe leaks in the Karlapat system delayed the commissioning by nearly a year! The second system also has leaks. Yesterday, we started the laying of the penstock of the 3rd system, Purna Guma. Bad planning on my part. I was hoping that the remaining tasks--turbine, transmission, etc.--could be done in parallel in the next week...but there are delays in getting the engineers at the site. And due to communication issues, I did not know of the delays until after the penstock supplier reached Kalahandi. ...Therefore, we have a half-done penstock that will cook in the sun until the rest of the tasks can be finished. ...The woes of working with multiple organizations and suppliers...not to mention my reactive emotions....are making my life far from boring.




Un finished installation of gate valve...


The supplier we are using did wonders in fixing the Karlapat leaks, and therefore we chose to use him for Purna Guma. He had come a week earlier to finalize Purna Guma plans with the Practical Action engineer. Plans were finalized but as he started the work, it was not according to plan. We had marked a penstock pathway with the engineer and the villagers. Some goat went away with the string marking, so the villagers guessed and made the 3'x1' path required by the supplier. Luckily their guess was correct, but the supplier wanted to add additional bends when they were not required, simply so that he could finish faster. Also, the villagers worked very hard to make the path, but in hindsight, I don't think the path was needed! As you can see in the photos, it would have helped to have 1' of land to lay the penstock on...


I am bit concerned about the gradual bends...I guess PVC allows this. We'll see when we test for leakage. The earlier marked path by the Practical Action engineer had no bends...


Since I'm complaining, I might as well explain how the supplier keeps going back and forth on whether we should put anchor blocks now or later. Since I questioned his decisions, he decided most of the remaining work on the line should not be finished until the Practical Action engineer arrives.


This supplier is really trustful...but the way he managed the villagers on this project was disappointing. He expected villagers to be out at 5am, as Jaysingh Babu is in this photo, but he himself wanted to leave the site early when villagers were still ready to work. (Every outsider who visits ends up wanting to leave as soon as they come...Maybe it's the remoteness; usually it is that they are a little sick and develop some phobia to stay. I need to find a solution for future visitors.) Villagers have their regular routines so that they can fit into the day all the various tasks they need to do just to survive. They have to take their animals out, do seasonal house repairs, prepare the fields, go to town, maintain their tools. Although these tasks sound simple, they all consume great time. When you require a village to break that routine, it's awful. Usually they end up over working their bodies. Low immune systems in malaria infested Kalahandi is bad news. ...And of course the supplier will be long gone when the villager has to deal with the dilemma of spending the money to visit a doctor 2 hrs away...or just let the malaria take care of itself...Lame. ...I have yet to meet any supplier in India that doesn't make my temperature go up. ....yes, I am breathing and calm...now :)


Because the supplier couldn't get the rated pipes we wanted (10kg) in time (although now we have an extra month thanks to the Practical Action engineers not being able to come and my needing to be in the US for a few weeks), we were forced to get more expensive pipes (12-14kg).


The rising Sun makes all woes disappear...


The guy with the head gear is one of the best mobilizers in the community. He's loud and happy :). I have much to learn from him.


...Not sure why we have to use fiberglass coating for the pipes....If these systems are meant to help the climate change struggle, we need to be examining what parts of the system also contribute to environmental woes, e.g. fiberglass coating, cutting trees for pipe supports, etc.


Fiberglass roll...This saved us in the last project where there were severe leaks due to the penstock being out of spec. ..but I wasn't expecting this to be used in the project. ...It's hard to change the dynamics once work starts...unless I really get my temper out in the open.

For now, I can only take these lessons as opportunities to do better in the next project. ...I shouldn't be so hard on the supplier. He's has been passionate about helping us with the previous leaks (now another older project has leaks), but it is difficult to work with his logic.

I am finding myself in extreme emotions these days. I can't seem to deal with lack of perfection in others...even though I completely lack perfection! I can't deal with the communication gaps, e.g. when people say one thing and do another. I let the negative emotions get the best of me. It is only when a villager at the site sees me that I change a little. ...Usually the older ones know when I am down. I become their daughter for a few moments....tremendous Love is transferred in those few seconds and I feel rejuvenated. Thank you, Universe. I am grateful.

Finishing of Forebay tank

...All site efforts organized by the village construction team...no Gram Vikas field engineer required :)




Silting wall

Plastered and pretty!

Purna Guma micro hydro construction

Lots of work has happened at the site during the last 2 weeks. The finishing of the civil works is not great; we should have had better concreting supports. We will do better on the powerhouse.

Weir

Channel from weir to forebay tank (thru a very cool cave)

Forebay tank

Forebay tank

Channel to forebay tank

Powerhouse progress (plinth level)

Living Dream

Community driven micro hydro construction in Purna Guma village, Kalahandi, Orissa.



Within the Karlapat Sanctuary, Gram Vikas is starting its 3rd micro hydro project. Many valuable lessons were learned from its first 2 projects, in Amthagouda and Karlapat villages. Solutions to previous issues are being implemented in the 3rd project, in the village of Purna Guma.



I have spent most of my time at Gram Vikas (the last 2.5 years) trouble shooting existing projects. Therefore, a new project on a blank canvas is no doubt refreshing for me. But here's what makes Purna Guma unique:

1. Purna Guma is being implemented by the community alone with help from the villagers of the previous micro hydro system (7km away). Gram Vikas has learned that in the previous projects there was too much handholding, which now makes community driven management of system very difficult to facilitate. Letting the community drive the project is creating such an amazing dynamic. ...It's wonderful to see them think thru the various issues...without our help! Infact, they keep me on my toes.

2. Purna Guma is being support by several funding agencies, one of which is a student group at Columbia Unversity, Engineers Without Borders. The group gives me priceless energy to keep dealing with the field circumstances.

3. Despite the several castes in Purna Guma's 3 hamlets, the community has really come together for this project. Of course I know that their drive is simply the electricity (mainly lights); however thanks to Gram Vikas' mandate of 100% inclusion in every project, the circumstances don't give the community any other choice. ...Though I continue to sense that PG is more cohesive community than of the previous micro hydro projects.

4. There many other aspects...that i'll ramble off and on :).

Here are some photos...






Once PG decides to do a task, they really do it. Always, over 30 people show up or none at all. This is why the bulk of the civil structure were completed in the first 4 days!!





Leaders from Karlapat led the meeting the night before the construction started.


]
Much earthwork was required to get the site ready.



I was worried that we would not have masons...one of the many examples of my worries being pointless. The community had arranged 2 masons without my knowing.





Vaishnav Babu from Karlapat is our man. I am hoping he can lead future ydro implementation in Kalahandi without the field help of Gram Vikas.




After the earthworks, rods, cement, chips, and sand had to be head loaded up the 200m slope...NO JOKE.



But at every opportunity, the guys never fail to produce a laugh.



One second day we started the rod binding of the channel.



Purna Guma is blessed with a cool cave, making it easy to route the channel to the forebay tank location.




....having the time of my life :-)





Start of forebay tank drama....the concreting was difficult without proper supports.

Myles Horton

Although I've spent most of my life in Mississippi, I never knew of Myles Horton and his role in the Labor and Civil Rights movements. Only now, while living in Orissa, did a new friend introduce me to Horton and the Highlander Institute. With the community-based micro hydro work that is consuming me now, Horton couldn't have come at a better time. The Universe is always right on time :-).

....The more I read about and by Horton, I am in awe. Check him out:

http://www.highlandercenter.org/a-timeline.asp