JDU slams NDA govt for approving hydro projects on Ganga river

JD(U) today accused the NDA Government of "changing its stand" and taking "very casually" the issue of granting approval to hydro projects on Ganga river and sought immediate intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the matter.
Party President Sharad Yadav wrote a letter to the Prime Minister today warning tampering with the river in the valley of her origin will have very serious consequences which can pose serious threat to the country's food and water security.
In a statement, he said that he was worried about the changed stand of the Ministry of Environment and Forest(MoEF), Government of India in the affidavit submitted in the Supreme Court of India about the approval given to the hydro projects on River Ganga.

"Affidavits after affidavits have been given by the Government in the past wherein they had committed the escalation of devastating affect in the flash floods in the disaster of Uttarkhand in June, 2013 and the deteriorating affect on the origin of River Ganga, but in the latest affidavit approval to the hydro projects has been mentioned.
"In my view, it is a very serious issue which the Government is taking very casually as number of documents from Experts and Committees are available showing concern for protection of river Ganga because of hydro projects installation," Yadav said in the statement.
In his letter to Modi, the JD(U) President recalled that he had repeatedly been raising the issue of the deteriorating Ganga-Himalayan basin in and outside the Parliament and had also written letters to the Prime Minister in this regard.

"It is extremely unfortunate that the Ministry of Environment, Government of India has recently submitted an affidavit in an ongoing case in the Supreme Court wherein they have mentioned as approval given to hydropower projects on the Ganga and her tributaries in Himalayas.

"On one hand, you have shown your commitment towards protection and conservation of the Ganga and her rejuvenation and on the other, her very source is being destroyed and tampered with," Yadav said in the letter.
He wondered if an origin of the river was destroyed then how the Government was promising to protect the Ganga river.

"I do not think that we have forgotten the massive tragedy of flash flood disaster in June, 2013 in Uttarakhand but at the same time the government seems to have not been serious as the way it has given approval to hydro projects as mentioned in the latest affidavit submitted to Supreme Court.