Breather for NTPC as HC okays U'khand project

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) today heaved a sigh of relief when the Uttarakhand High Court passed an interim order for the resumption of work on its major 600-Mw Lohari Nagpala hydel project in the hill state.

A Division Bench of the high court in Nainital comprising Justices PC Pant and BS Verma granted the interim relief on a petition filed by the Rural and Litigation Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), a Dehra Dun-based NGO which had sought the immediate resumption of the project.

Pallavi Bahuguna and Kartikey Hari Gupta, the two counsels for RLEK, said the high court agreed with their plea that it was the prerogative of the newly formed Ganga River Basin Authority to take any decision regarding the environmental issues concerning the dam. Till the authority, which was notified on February 20, takes a decision, work on the dam would continue, they said.

Last week, the Centre had suspended work on the Rs 2,800-crore NTPC project on the Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi district following an indefinite fast by environmentalist GD Agrawal, who demanded that the power plant should be stopped as it would destroy the ecology of the river.

Last year, under the pressure of Agrawal, the Uttarakhand government had also put on hold the construction of the two major hydel projects — 480-Mw Pala Maneri and 381-Mw Bhairon Ghati — being built on the Bhagirathi river by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd, a state government enterprise.

The NTPC has already invested more than Rs 450 crore in the project with major contracts already being awarded to Patel Engineering and Hindustan Construction Company (HCC). Ends