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Monday, October 19, 2009

India's "Tel Aviv of the Hills" - Does Israel Have Its Eye On India's Hydro Power?


A sign in Hebrew in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India, which indicates "For homesick Israelis: breakfast, salami sausage from Israel (Kosher), Israeli candies, black coffee and more Manali, India" 

Himachal Pradesh is a state in north India.It is spread over 21,629 sq mi (56,019 km²), and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet, China on the east. The literal meaning of Himachal Pradesh is Region of snowy mountains.

Himachal is extremely rich in hydroelectric resources. The state has about 25% of the national potential in this respect. It has been estimated that about 20,300MW of power can be generated in the State by constructing various major, medium, small and mini/micro hydro projects on the five river basins.

February 2, 2009  Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh - As the world keeps a tense watch on the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, a village here is reeling under the impact of the Israeli offensive. Dharamkot, 13 km from Dharamsala, has been a popular destination among Israelis.

But the last few weeks, according to the locals, have seen their numbers fall by almost 70 per cent. Around 20,000 Israelis visit Dharamkot and nearby Bagsu every year.

Nestled in the foothills of Dhauladhar ranges, tourists refer to Dharamkot as the “Tel Aviv of the Hills” where many houses have been turned into “countryside guesthouses”. Though a truce has been called, the situation in Gaza continues to be tense and the risk of war high.

It’s holding back people and their vacation plans – most Israelis are required to serve in the defence forces for at least three years. “The tension in Gaza Strip has hit us hard,” said Sandeep Kumar, who runs a caf and #233.

“Two days back, I got a call from an Israeli client canceling a group booking,” said Prem Sagar, a travel agent at nearby McLeodganj. The setback comes within days of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which, too, had disrupted the flow of tourists.

A large number of backpackers left within days of the November 26 strikes. Two rabbis who managed a place of worship shut it down and left it a fortnight ago.

Locals, a majority of who gave up traditional occupation like sheep-rearing to cash in on the tourist boom, are worried. Many could soon be out of business.

“I took a loan to set up a grocery shop after retiring from the army. I’m worried about repayments,” said Rajmal Kumar, an ex-serviceman.

Israelis planning business, too, have shelved their plans. Liron, who only uses one name and served as a combat engineer with the Israeli army, said: “I had come on a three-year business visa and wanted to set up a restaurant serving Israeli cuisine, but now I’ll have to rethink.Two rabbis who managed a place of worship shut it down and left it a fortnight ago.

From DalitVoice.Org
A thriving Jewish quarter has emerged in the adjoining Kulu and Manali valleys in the Himalayas, known as much for their salubrious climate and snow-capped peaks as for the quality of hashish available there. Over the past 15 years, these overcrowded but still picturesque resorts on the Beas river have emerged as the new “promised land” to which thousands of Jews annually migrate for extended periods for an uninterrupted fest of drugs, rock n roll and karmic cleansing. According to Himachal state officials, nearly two-thirds of estimated 90,000 foreign tourists that visit Old Manali, Vashishth, Kasol and Naggar each year, are young Israeli backpackers.

A tiny Zionist state is in the making but the Brahminical rulers have simply ignored the drug-addicted Jewish tourists who have created so much of problem to the locals.
  
Related (?) news:

Granite Hacarmel Investments Ltd., a publicly-traded holding company that owns leading Israeli companies in the energy, infrastructure, chemicals and synergetic industries (Sonol, Supergas), will invest $6 million in a new Indian consortium that will invest in renewable energy projects in India. Granite carries out its cleantech ventures through its subsidiary GES Global Environmental Solutions Ltd. which focuses on water technologies.

Shimla, April 29 -- Israel has offered to help the Himachal Pradesh government in the fields of irrigation, water management and post harvesting techniques. Israeli Ambassador David Danieli conveyed the offer to reporters Saturday after meeting with the state's Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and other state officials here the previous day. "A top level team of agri experts will visit Himachal as soon we get a proposal of the list of priorities, which need immediate boosting," said Danieli.

Israel Electric Corporation to Build Power Plant in India
State-run Israeli company, Israel Electric Corporation, is in talks with the Andhra Pradesh Electicity Company for setting up a 3500 MW power plant. Electric Cororation will construct and manage the proposed power plant at Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, estimated to cost $10 billion.  The power plant would be coal-fired and the Israel Electric Corporation expects to reap hundreds of millions of dollars in profit.  Israel Electric Corp is the sole integrated electric utility in Israel and generates, transmits and distributes virtually all the electricity used in the Israel. It owns and operates 17 power stations including five thermal power stations and 5 combined cycle units with an aggregate installed generating capacity of 10,083 MW. 

Leviathan Energy to Provide Clean Electricity for India
Leviathan Energy Ltd., based in Israel, and Maple Leaf India PVT have signed a letter of intent for a $50 million-plus contract to provide clean electricity for India. The two companies met during a recent India-Israel renewable energy summit organized by Israel’s MATIMOP and India’s GITA for the promotion of science and industry.
  
Israel's Mekorot to develop water infrastructure in India   
Jain Irrigation Systems of India and Mekorot, the national water company of Israel, today signed an MOU to work together on water projects in India.  The two companies say they plan to explore projects in desalination, water resource management, water supply, municipal water management and/or wastewater treatment and reclamation projects...Mekorot is a leader in water resources management, desalination, wastewater treatment and effluent reuse, rain enhancement, water quality, water security and water project engineering.  It supplies 80 percent of Israel's drinking water and 70 percent of its entire water supply, operating 3,000 installations across the country.

Forteam International, The Point of Contact for Indian and Israeli Companies    
Areas of Activity  -   Energy and generating power - Real estate development
Infrastructures - Water technologies - Agriculture - Homeland security - IT solutions

India's Water Aggression Against Neighbours
...The (Kashmiri) resistance movement was so fierce that India sought assistance from Israel how to tackle Islamic insurgency and also started to accuse Pakistan of aiding and abetting terrorism in Kashmir...Israel had established special schools where it was taught how clerics brainwashed recruits. Having mastered this art, it was put to use against Palestinians. This technique is now being used to brainwash suicide bombers and use them in Pakistan...Acquisition of nuclear capability and delivery means by Pakistan led to forging of deeper collaboration between USA, Israel and India and the trio schemed how to destabilize, de-Islamize, denuclearize and possibly balkanize Pakistan...

Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh are victims of Indian water thievery...Without any qualms, India is busy building dams on all rivers flowing into Pakistan from occupied Kashmir to regain control of water of western rivers in violation of Indus Treaty. This is being done under well thought out strategy to render Pakistan's link-canal system redundant, destroy agriculture of Pakistan which is its mainstay and turn Pakistan into a desert...It is because of our survival resting on rivers that Kashmir has been referred to as Pakistan's jugular vein. India has plans to construct 62 dams/hydro-electric units on Rivers Chenab and Jhelum thus enabling it to render these rivers dry by 2014.

India - Hydroelectric Projects Meet Resistance
Hydro-electric power projects of private firms in Himachal Pradesh are being pushed by local officers who have made it clear to the people that they have vested interest in these projects. Officers of the state government have tried to influence local activists to support projects that would destroy the livelihoods of local villagers. Revenue officials are openly canvassing for these projects collecting signatures from villagers for approval. Where popular opposition is strong an environment of fear is being created by the local Police.
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The Little Israel in India by Abhijay Patel


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