New Delhi: There would be no water in large stretches of the famed Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river beds if the Uttarakhand government goes ahead with its plan to build 53 power projects on these two rivers which join at Dev Prayag to form the Ganga, the Comptroller and Auditor General has said.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests today scrapped two proposed hydel projects on the river Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand and suspended work on another mega project in the state.
The Farakka Barrage Project on river Ganga, commissioned in the year 1975, mainly for diversion of 1135 cumec flow of water from river Ganga to river Hoogly through Bhagirathi, for the preservation of Kolkata Port. River Ganga due to its meandering nature is causing bank erosion problems not only in the vicinity of barrage but also in the reaches for upstream and downstream of the barrage.
Expert committee report on environmental clearance to Loharinag Pala HEP Project on Bhagirathi submitted to MoEF recently. Has recommended cancellation of the project & called for decommissioning of existing dams on the river within reasonable timeframe.
The meeting of the National Ganga River Valley Authority (NGRVA) presided over by the Prime Minister in Delhi which was held in October 2009 did not result in any discussion or decision being made regarding the hydro-electricity projects in the Bhagirathi valley which have been in limbo since being stopped by the Government due to strong protest.
A high power committee of the Union Government arrived in Uttarkashi in order to ascertain the possibilities for the Loharinag Pala and Pala Maneri hydro electricity projects in the Bhagirathi valley.
