Ministry asked to file counter affidavit on raise of dam height

The Uttarakhand High Court has admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on raising the height and increasing the production capacity of Sirnagar Hydro Electricity project filed by some residents of Tehri Garhwal district. The joint bench of Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and Justice V.K. Bist asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) to file a counter affidavit on the matter. The PIL said the Alaknanda Hydro Power Limited, the execution agency for the hydro electricity dam, received the no objection certificate from MOEF in 1985 in which the prescribed height of the dam was 66 meters with a capacity of 200MW. The PIL alleged a revision has been done by the execution agency and increased the height of dam to 90 meters and capacity to 330MW without seeking proper environmental clearance, that is causing a negative impact on environment. The next date of hearing in the case has been fixed for March 7, 2011.