A green crusade

Uttarakhand Chief Minister pitches for compensation for preserving eco-system:

Ahead of a crucial meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) on November 1 in New Delhi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said Uttarakhand must be adequately compensated for preserving the rich eco-system of the Himalayan region.

"We will not construct a single project provided we get adequate compensation for preserving the rich eco-system of this vast Himalayan region. This eco-system is not only crucial for our country but for the whole world," Nishank told PTI in an interview.

He also reiterated the demand for 2,000 MW of free power in lieu of the three hydel projects - 600 MW Loharinag Pala, 480 MW Pala Maneri and 381 MW Bhaironghati in Uttarkashi district - which were scrapped by a group of ministers headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee this year. While NTPC has already been assured of a compensation of Rs 650 crore for the Loharinag Pala project, Uttarakhand is yet to receive compensation for its two projects - Pala Maneri and Bhaironghati. Stating that his government wanted to maintain an uninterrupted flow of the Ganga, Nishank, however said he was open to setting up small hydel projects instead of big ones on the river. Nishank has also sought from the Centre allocation of coal blocks for the hill state in order to set up thermal power plants. The NGRBA was set up in February 2009 with the aim of conserving river Ganga and cleansing it of pollution with a holistic approach. The Centre has also proposed to declare a 135 km-long zone between Gomukh and Uttarkashi on the Ganga as an eco-sensitive zone.

When asked to comment on a recent letter from Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh asking the state government to stop the 24.3 MW Bhyundar Ganga hydropower project in order to save the famous Valley of Flowers situated in Chamoli district of the Garhwal region, Nishank said his government was not in favour of scrapping the project. "We want to hold talks with the Centre on the issue," he said. Ramesh had expressed concern over the project saying it will destroy the serenity, splendor and richness of the Valley of Flowers, which has been endowed with the status of a world heritage site. He had cited concerns raised by environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt against the project and reminded the state government that similar concerns had also been expressed in the past by late Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.