जलस्रोत र ऊर्जा (वक्तृता)
Introduction
Jalshrot Ra Urja (जलस्रोत र ऊर्जा, "Water Resources and Energy") is a speech (वक्तृता) chapter in the Class 11 Nepali course. It presents a school speech competition on the topic of water resources and energy, showing both how such a programme is conducted and, through the speeches of two student competitors, why water is called the foundation of Nepal's prosperity.
Summary
The chapter first models the method of a speech competition: the school's headmaster chairs the programme, three teachers serve as judges, one teacher keeps time, and a student announcer calls the competitors one by one to deliver their speeches; at the end the judges announce their decision and the chairperson distributes the prizes.
The first speaker, in six paragraphs, surveys Nepal's wealth of water: mountains and glaciers, rivers and streams, waterfalls, lakes and ponds, natural springs, wells, tubewells and rainfall: every source of water except the sea. This "white gold", properly used, can develop the nation: Nepal's waters hold the capacity to generate more than 83,000 megawatts of electricity, and if the land were irrigated, plenty of food could be produced and the youth now going abroad could find work on their own soil.
The second speaker, in eight paragraphs, builds on the same theme. Nepal's crystal-clean water could be sold to the world; with more than six hundred rivers flowing all twelve months, canals and channels could irrigate the farmland and transform the national economy, making the country self-reliant in food and earning foreign currency from exports. Twelve-month snow, endlessly flowing waters and steeply sloping terrain make Nepal's geography ideal for hydroelectricity. If even fifty percent of the country's hydropower capacity were generated, economic prosperity would not be far away: provided the state creates the environment for hydro-based industries and factories, encourages household consumption of electricity, and prepares to sell surplus power abroad. Both speakers close alike: use the water rightly, and Nepal develops; use it rightly, and no Nepali need remain unemployed.
Theme
The chapter carries a double lesson. Practically, it teaches the format and delivery of a formal speech. Thematically, it argues that Nepal's immense water resources (for electricity, irrigation and industry) are the true basis of national prosperity, waiting only for firm policy, investment and the energy of Nepal's own youth.