Uncertainty over hydel projects continues

Close on the heels of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declaring the Ganga a national river, the suspense has grown over the fate of a series of hydro-electric projects in Uttarakhand, which are being built on the Bhagirathi river.

“As of now, we don’t have any information what will happen to these projects,” a top government official said, adding the state government would seek a clarification from the Centre regarding the fate of these projects.

The prime minister on Tuesday decided to declare the Ganga a national river and also set up a river basin authority to keep it free from pollution.

However, Yogendra Prasad, chairman of Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (UJVNL), whose two key hydel projects were suspended in the wake of an agitation by environmentalist G D Agrawal in June, said the move would not affect the company’s power plants on the Bhagirathi. “Our projects do not pollute the river and hence they are safe,” said Prasad.

The Centre recently constituted an expert committee to look into various environmental concerns being raised by Agarwal and many social groups, which were up in arms against the construction of the hydel projects on the Bhagirathi demanding that the perennial flow of the Bhagirathi should be maintained.

According to sources here, the committee is expected to give its final report in about a month. Significantly, the work on NTPC’s 600-Mw Lohari Nagpala, which is also being built on the Bhagirathi, is under progress. The state-run thermal power major has so far invested Rs 300 crore in the project with contracts of headrace tunnel, barrage and powerhouse already being awarded to various companies.

On the other hand, UJVNL, which bore the brunt of the fast of Agarwal, said it would wait for report of the expert committee. “We can’t take any risk by restarting the construction of suspended projects. We will wait till the expert committee report comes,” said Prasad.