Govt to take call on green nod to hydro-power projs this week

The Environment Ministry is likely to take a call this week on giving a green clearance to Jindal Power Ltd for setting up 3,097 mega watt hydro electric project in Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh.
It is also expected to decide on granting green nod to two major irrigation projects - the Lower Penganga Inter-state Irrigation project in Maharashtra and construction of flood carrier canal project in Tamil Nadu.
These three proposals are listed for environmental clearances before the 82nd meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Environment Ministry, which is scheduled to be held on February 26-27, sources said.

The committee is also expected to consider the terms of reference (ToR) submitted by Purthi Hydro Power for setting up of 300 mega watt hydro-electric power project in Lahual and Spiti and Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
ToR, submitted in the second stage of environment clearance process, is a document giving a detailed information for impact assessment of a particular project.
The committee is expected to consider ToRs of other projects, including the one submitted by state-run SJVN Ltd, for setting up of 80 MW Doimukh Hydro Electric Project in Arunachal Pradesh and the ToR document of the Uttar Pradesh government for construction of Badaun Lift Canal.

It will also discuss whether to give extension of ToR submitted by L&T Arunachal Hydro Power Ltd for setting up of 74 mega watt hydro electric power project in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Jindal Power's Rs 14,000 crore hydro power project is a run-of-the-river project that will be using the waters of Dri and Talo rivers in Dibang Valley, Arunchal Pradesh.
It will be implemented through a special purpose vehicle 'Etaline Hydro Electric Power Company Ltd.'
The Rs 10,500 crore Lower Penganga project is a joint project between Maharashtra and Telangana governments on Penganga River, which is a tributary of Godavari river.

The project envisages an irrigation potential of 40,000 acres in Adilabad district and 2.38 lakh acres in Yavatmal and Chadrapur districts of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra by utilising 42.67 TMC (one thousand million cubic) feet water of the Penganga.
The Rs 572.4 crore project in Tamil Nadu aims to construct a flood carrier canal to drought prone areas of Sathankulam, Thisayanvilai by inter-linking three rivers -- Tamiraparani, Karumeniyar and Nambiyar -- in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. The project will benefit an area of 23,040 hectare.