Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday approved a proposal of scrapping three big hydel projects — Loharinag Pala, Bhairon Ghati and Pala- Maneri — and providing 2,000 MW of free power to Uttarakhand as compensation for the same.
“No development projects except those in local villages will be allowed," said a government functionary who participated at the meeting of National Ganga Basin River Authority chaired by Singh.
The meeting ratified the decision of Group of Ministers to scrap big hydel projects worth R5,000 crore on most pristine stretch of Ganga.
The decision is a direct fallout of Environment minister Jairam Ramesh's assurance to religious gurus, including senior BJP leaders, who had been protesting in Dehradun, and environment experts that river Ganga will be allowed to run its natural flow in the 135-km stretch. The minister had support of non-official members of the authority, who had been advocating that no dams — small or big — be allowed on the river. Read the full report here.
Source: Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
