Ministries reach consensus on hydropower projects in Himalayas

Six months after a devastating flood of rock, ice and debris gushed down the Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand and killed at least 200 and severely damaged two hydropower projects, three Central Ministries, which initially had dissenting views on the future of hydroelectric power projects have agreed to a consensus. According to an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court this month, as part of an ongoing case on the feasibility of hydroelectric projects in the aftermath of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, seven—one of them being the 512 MW Tapovan project by the NTPC that was severely damaged this month—have been allowed to complete construction primarily on the grounds that they were over “50% complete.” No other new projects would be allowed in the upper reaches of the Ganga and those sanctioned would have to abide by environment regulations that prescribe a minimum flow in the river at all times of the year to preserve its health. ‘Illogical’ Environmental activists say that the water Ministry’s stand and the government’s pushing ahead with the project revealed that the floods of February had failed to jolt the government into realising that hydropower development in the fragile Himalayas was “illogical”. The Vishnugadh project damaged in the February floods too has been allowed to progress even though 200 plus people died due to the criminal negligence of their not being a disaster warning system.