SC seeks details of green nod for 6 hydro projects

NEW DELHI: Tired of the environment ministry dragging its feet, Supreme Court has told the government that it must provide details of green clearances for six yet-to-be constructed hydropower projects in Uttarakhand by May 11.
The ministry had earlier been asked by the court to submit details by mid-January. Caught between opinions from experts, pressure from sections of the government including the Prime Minister's Office and the Uttarakhand government, the ministry has been unable to provide a response.
The six projects are: NTPC's Lata Tapovan and Tehri Hydro Development Corp's Jhe lum Tamak on the Dhauli Ganga; GMR's project on the Alakananda river; two projects by Super Hydro on Bhyundar Ganga and Khairo Ganga; and NHPC's Kotlibhel 1A on the Bhagirathi.
Four of these require environmental clearance from the Centre -while it has been granted for the NTPC and GMR projects, THDC's Jhelum Tamak is yet to be granted one. Only the Kotlibhel project doesn't require wildlife clearance, but among the rest, three are yet to even apply for one. As for forest clearance, three projects have been granted final clearance while that for Kotlibhel project is pending. Clearance for the Bhyundar Ganga project has been revoked following orders of the Uttarakhand High Court.