Ahead of the B K Chaturvedi committee's assessment on the impact of hydel projects on the Ganga river, the Uttarakhand government is expecting a positive report on the issue. It has also started lobbying for the allocation of coal blocks .
During the past three years, a series of hydel projects had either been scrapped or suspended on environmental and religious grounds in the hill state, with the Centre setting up the Chaturvedi Committee to examine the impact of hydel projects on the biodiversity in the state. The committee is expected to give its report in mid-October.
We are expecting a positive report as far as the Chaturvedi Committee is concerned. But a report by the Wildlife Institute of India is against the hydel projects,” said a government official.
Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna yesterday called on Union Power Minister M Veerappa Moily in New Delhi and called for the restarting of all the hydel projects which were either scrapped or suspended in the state.
"The chief minister requested the Union minister to help in resuming all those projects that had received environmental clearances," an official said. Stating that Uttarakhand used to be known as ‘urja pradesh’, Bahuguna said the state was compelled to purchase power worth Rs 900 crore last year to meet growing demand.
He said that hydro-power projects were instrumental to the financial growth of the state as well as development in general.
Bahuguna also urged Moily to consider allocation of coal blocks to the hill state so as to set up coal-based power projects. He said that earlier too the central government was approached with request to establish coal based 660 Mw thermal power plant as per the policy of the centre.
Bahuguna said that on the assurance given by gas major Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), a series of gas-based power projects are being set up at Kashipur and other areas and sought the supply of gas in this regard.
The chief minister also expressed his gratitude for giving priority to Uttarakhand for purchase of 15 per cent additional power besides 13 per cent free power generated from Dhauliganga-II and Gauriganga Hydel project at Pithoragarh district undertaken by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
Significantly, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had this year given a negative report on the hydel projects saying commissioning of such plants would adversely affect the biodiversity of the Ganga valley in the state. A couple of environmentalists in the committee have also expressed their opposition against the hydel projects.
But the state government has firmly told the Chaturvedi Committee that it is favouring the construction of hydel projects on the Ganga. Similarly, some members of the committee are also not against harnessing the river water. “Broadly speaking, the situation is turning in favour of hydel projects,” the official said.
