Mrudul Godbole
20-07-2010, 04:42 PM
Over 100 hydro projects in Uttarakhand blocked
Nitin Sethi, TNN, Jul 16, 2010, 02.01am IST
NEW DELHI: More than 100 hydroelectric projects planned by the Uttarakhand government are in jeopardy. The Union environment and forests ministry's Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has decided not to give forest clearance to any of the proposed projects until the National Ganga River Basin Authority conducts a cumulative impact assessment study of all proposed dams.
Uttarakhand has planned to build 300 small and large dams on the various tributaries of the Ganga to tap the hydel potential of the state. The FAC has decided not to allow even one dam to proceed unless the total impact of all proposed dams is studied.
The Uttarakhand High Court, hearing a petition by Bharat Jhunjhunwala, had asked the FAC to study the consequences of the hundreds of dams planned by the state government through public sector units and private players.
FAC carried out a tour of the sites and consulted various stakeholders and found that in some existing dams, serious violations were occurring and the government had not considered the consequences of building dams on almost all tributaries of the Ganga.
Considering that more than 60% of the hill state's land is forested, almost all projects require forest clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
Sources said the Uttarakhand government even refused to share the detailed map of the 300-plus projects it plans to build, with the FAC team.
The committee noted that in view of the preliminary assessment and the fact that several dozen more small, medium and large projects were in various stages of formulation, there was potential for irreparable and irreversible damage to the entire river eco-system. It recommended that no further projects be considered by FAC without a comprehensive study of carrying capacity of Ganga in the hilly terrain up to Haridwar.
Acknowledging that it did not have the requisite expertise to conduct such a study, FAC has asked that NGRBA, which is headed by the PM, set up a committee of experts to conduct the study.
Sources in the environment ministry told TOI that while most of these were run of the river dams, cumulatively they added up to thousands of mega watts and that the proposed projects dotted each and every tributary of the state.
The committee had also ordered that the study, which would be a costly one including impacts on hydrology, soil, wildlife and seismic concerns besides other issues should be funded by charging the project proponents 0.75% of the capital cost of the project which should be provided to the NGBRA to sponsor the study.
The Uttarakhand High Court is expected to hear the case again on Friday.
Link - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Environment/Over-100-hydro-projects-in-Uttarakhand-blocked/articleshow/6174229.cms
Nitin Sethi, TNN, Jul 16, 2010, 02.01am IST
NEW DELHI: More than 100 hydroelectric projects planned by the Uttarakhand government are in jeopardy. The Union environment and forests ministry's Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has decided not to give forest clearance to any of the proposed projects until the National Ganga River Basin Authority conducts a cumulative impact assessment study of all proposed dams.
Uttarakhand has planned to build 300 small and large dams on the various tributaries of the Ganga to tap the hydel potential of the state. The FAC has decided not to allow even one dam to proceed unless the total impact of all proposed dams is studied.
The Uttarakhand High Court, hearing a petition by Bharat Jhunjhunwala, had asked the FAC to study the consequences of the hundreds of dams planned by the state government through public sector units and private players.
FAC carried out a tour of the sites and consulted various stakeholders and found that in some existing dams, serious violations were occurring and the government had not considered the consequences of building dams on almost all tributaries of the Ganga.
Considering that more than 60% of the hill state's land is forested, almost all projects require forest clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
Sources said the Uttarakhand government even refused to share the detailed map of the 300-plus projects it plans to build, with the FAC team.
The committee noted that in view of the preliminary assessment and the fact that several dozen more small, medium and large projects were in various stages of formulation, there was potential for irreparable and irreversible damage to the entire river eco-system. It recommended that no further projects be considered by FAC without a comprehensive study of carrying capacity of Ganga in the hilly terrain up to Haridwar.
Acknowledging that it did not have the requisite expertise to conduct such a study, FAC has asked that NGRBA, which is headed by the PM, set up a committee of experts to conduct the study.
Sources in the environment ministry told TOI that while most of these were run of the river dams, cumulatively they added up to thousands of mega watts and that the proposed projects dotted each and every tributary of the state.
The committee had also ordered that the study, which would be a costly one including impacts on hydrology, soil, wildlife and seismic concerns besides other issues should be funded by charging the project proponents 0.75% of the capital cost of the project which should be provided to the NGBRA to sponsor the study.
The Uttarakhand High Court is expected to hear the case again on Friday.
Link - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Environment/Over-100-hydro-projects-in-Uttarakhand-blocked/articleshow/6174229.cms