Shelving of hydro projects evokes mixed reaction

P.S. Chauhan

Shelving of the two hydro projects, Bhairon Ghati and Pala Maneri by the Central government has evoked mixed reaction here. While the Sant community, the environmentalists and the lovers of the Ganga have welcomed the move, the political parties and some social organisations have opposed the decision. The Centre has also announced setting up of an expert committee to go into technical aspects of Lohara Nagpala and asked it to submit its report within six weeks, so that final decision about this project may also be taken.

It is to be mentioned here that the Bhairon Ghati Hydro Project on Bhagirathi, with an estimated capacity to generate 381 MW of hydro electricity and Pala Maneri, with the capacity to generate 480 MW of electricity, are the state government projects. The third ambitious hydro electric project, Lohari Nagpala, also on the river Bhagirathi, expected to generate 600 MW of power, is a Central government venture. So far, Rs.200 crore and Rs.600 crore have been spent on Pala Maneri and Lohara Nagpala projects respectively. Due to stiff opposition from some environmentalists and lovers of the Ganga, who advocated uninterrupted flow of the stream of the river in the highly eco fragile zone, from Gangotri to Uttarkashi, the work on all these three hydro projects was suspended by the Central and the state governments in June 2008. During the ongoing Kumbh at Haridwar the Sant community again raised the issue of scraping the three projects and demanded that no dams should be constructed on the Ganga. The All India Akhara Parishad even threatened to boycott the Kumbh, if work on these projects was not stopped.

Welcoming the decision of the Central government, the president of the All India Akhara Parishad, Mahant Gyan Das said that the Central government had respected the sentiments of the lovers of the Ganga. The president of the Ganga Sabha, Ram Kumar Mishra said, that it was a right step in saving the Ganga from dying a slow death. However, the chief minister of the state Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has reacted sharply on the issue. "The Central government has not consulted us. The decision to stop work on the projects can only be taken by the Ganga Basin Authority. After getting official intimation from the Central government, we shall decide our future course of action." Dr. Harak Singh Rawat, the leader of the opposition says that in their last meeting with the Prime Minister they had apprised him that if work on these projects was stopped, it would hamper development by creating shortage of electricity and depriving the locals of employment. "We also want to protect the Ganga and favour the incessant and clear flow of the holy river. But the requirements of development should also not be ignored. Some way should be found out to strike a balance between protection of the river and the parameters of development," he says.