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.
BS
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