Jorhat, Dec. 20: North Eastern Council (NEC) member P.P. Shrivastava has called for scientific intervention at the appropriate time in issues like big dams before it gets politicised.

Addressing the inaugural session of a symposium on “Scientific Intervention for Societal Development’ at the CSIR North East Institute of Science and Technology auditorium here today, Shrivastava said the Northeast could lead the country in production of hydroelectric power.

“With over 70 per cent hills, which range from 500 to 5,000 metres, the region can become a national powerhouse and provide the cleanest power,” he said.

Referring to the issue of big dams like the Lower Subansiri project, Shrivastava said despite everything being ready for generation, work had stopped as the issue had “become political in nature.”

“Scientists can intervene and spread the message that a huge body of water can be released in ways so as not to cause damage and there are ways to build a large dam without the threat of it breaking down,” he said.

The NEC member said scientists should make the people aware that burning hydrocarbons was damaging the environment and led to global warming and increase in the ozone hole.

Citing the example of shallow coal mining in Meghalaya, which caused widespread pollution, Shrivastava said there was a need for alternate, eco-friendly sources of energy.

The symposium also began an exercise to chalk out future project plans to be submitted in the 13th financial plan period with the focus on societal development of the Northeast.

“The vision and project proposals should be formed taking into cognisance not only the requirements of society but also the survival of children in this bio-diversity hotspot and ways to preserve and plan for contingency,” Shrivastava said.

He praised the director of the institute, P.G. Rao, for leading it with a vision for the last 10 years, which had placed it in the forefront of research in India. Rao will retire on December 31.

Upper Assam commissioner S.I. Hussain said there should be more people linkages while formulating the projects. Referring to the large amount of arsenic content in drinking water in Titabar, Hussain said these were some areas where the scientists should work for a viable solution to the problem. He added that the government would draw surface water from a river in the neighbouring district of Golaghat in order to provide safe water.

Hussain also called for the marketing of research processes so they reach the common man and said scientists should work with the government in this regard.

Rao said the institute had worked towards societal development for the past 50 years, with a case in point being the water filter, which had then been looked down upon as unworthy of being a scientific invention of such an institute.

Scientists from Thailand and China besides scientists and vice-chancellors from institutes from across India took part in the event.