Nod for Loharinag-Pala hydel project

The centre gave a go-ahead for the 600 MW Loharinag-Pala hydel project in Uttarakhand, while Baba Ramdev staged a sit-in protest at Haridwar with a demand to halt the hydropower projects across the Ganga to protect it from further exploitation and pollution:

Government has given a go-ahead for the 600 MW Loharinag-Pala hydel project in Uttarakhand while disallowing two similar projects in the state, environment minister Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday. "Government has decided that we should not go ahead with Bhairoghati and Palamaneri projects," he said in the Rajya Sabha adding the Loharinag-Pala, where 40 per cent work has already been completed, would be allowed.

He said around Rs 600 crore has been spent and orders worth Rs 2000 crore placed for the Loharinag-Pala project on the Bhagirathi river. Keeping this in view, the group of ministers of which he was a member, had recommended that the government should go ahead with this project, subject to the condition that it will operate only for seven months in a year.

Sharing members' concern during zero hour on pollution of the Ganga and drying up of the river bed, Ramesh said the government would like to ensure clean and continuous flow of water in the river. The 480 MW Palamaneri project and the 381 MW Bhairoghati project were to be implemented by Uttaranchal Jal Vidyut Nigam but did not find favour with the union environment ministry.

Baba Ramdev staged a sit-in protest at Haridwar with a demand to halt the hydropower projects across the Ganga and also to protect the river from further exploitation and pollution. Several Hindu monks also accompanied Baba Ramdev in this crusade. During the dharna, the yoga guru said the dam would destroy the free flow of Bhagirathi river, a tributary of the Ganga. He urged the centre to shelve the project in the larger interest of the country.

"Ganga is a quintessential part of our culture and heritage. We will not tolerate any disturbance in the river," said Ramdev.

"The aim is that, seven days ago, a letter had been written to president that if government doesn't take any action for the assurance of the purity and cleanliness of the Ganga and also if the government doesn't take any action to stop the ongoing and upcoming projects over the river, we will stage a protest in Haridwar," said Baba Ramdev. He further rued that the government has done nothing so far and said he is waiting for a favourable response from the authorities. "When the government failed to fulfill their responsibilities in the given three to seven days time, we were compelled to take this step, so that the government may take steps for the transparency and cleanliness of the Ganga," he said.