Govt allows 7 hydropower projects in Himalayas
- In an affidavit submitted in the Supreme Court, the environment ministry revealed that it has permitted seven hydroelectric power projects to go ahead.
- All seven projects are in advanced stages of construction.
- The 512 MW Tapovan Vishnugadh project, in Joshimath, Uttarakhand which was damaged by a flood in February 2021, is on the list.
The seven projects are:
| Tehri Stage 2 | on Bhagirathi river | 1000 MW |
|---|---|---|
| Tapovan Vishnugadh | on Dhauliganga river | 520 MW |
| Vishnugadh Pipalkoti | on Alaknanda river | 444 MW |
| Singoli Bhatwari | on Mandakini rive | 99 MW |
| Phata Bhuyang | on Mandakini river | 76 MW |
| Madhyamaheshwar | on Madhyamaheshwar Ganga | 15 MW |
| Kaliganga 2 | on Kaliganga river | 4.5 MW |
Hydropower projects in the Himalayas:
- The Supreme Court had halted the development of hydroelectric projects in Uttarakhand after the Kedarnath floods of 2013.
- A 17-member expert committee, led by environmentalist Ravi Chopra, was set up by the MoEFCC to examine the role of 24 proposed hydroelectric projects in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basin.
- The committee said that 23 projects would have an “irreversible impact” on the ecology of the region.
- Expert committees had recommended that there should be no hydropower development beyond an elevation of 2,200 metres in the Himalayan region.
Challenges faced by projects:
- Melting of glaciers due to global warming
- Glacier retreat and permafrost thaw are projected to decrease the stability of mountain slopes.
- It also increases the number and area of glacier lakes
- Erratic weather patterns like increased snowfall and rainfall.
- The thermal profile of ice was increasing, making it more susceptible to melting.
- Increased instances of cloudbursts, avalanches.