Centre Opposes New Hydel Projects in Upper Ganga Basin, Informs SC

In a significant development aimed at safeguarding the ecologically fragile upper Ganga River basin in Uttarakhand, the Union Government has informed the Supreme Court that it is not in favour of permitting any new hydroelectric projects in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river basins. This stance was articulated through a joint affidavit filed by the Ministries of Jal Shakti and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with the concurrence of the Power Ministry. The Centre's submission states that only seven existing hydroelectric projects—four already commissioned and three in advanced stages of construction—will be allowed to proceed, subject to strict adherence to environmental safeguards. These seven projects include Tehri Stage–II (1000 MW), Tapovan Vishnugad (520 MW), Vishnugad Pipalkoti (444 MW), Singoli Bhatwari (99 MW), Phata Byung (76 MW), Madhmaheshwar (15 MW), and Kaliganga–II (4.5 MW). This crucial decision follows years of deliberation and Supreme Court scrutiny, which began in the aftermath of the devastating Kedarnath floods in June 2013. The floods, which claimed over 5,000 lives, prompted the apex court to take *suo motu* cognizance of the issue and impose a moratorium on new hydropower clearances in the upper Ganga basin. The court directed the Environment Ministry to investigate whether hydroelectric projects had exacerbated the disaster. Several expert committees were subsequently formed to study the impact of these projects. The first, an 11-member committee led by environmentalist Ravi Chopra, concluded in 2014 that hydroelectric projects had indeed worsened the disaster and recommended against 23 or 24 proposed projects. This report highlighted the vulnerability of dams in the Paraglacial zone and the accumulation of construction debris in riverbeds as contributing factors to the severity of the floods. Following challenges by six private developers whose projects had prior clearances, a second panel was constituted in 2015 under Vinod Tare of IIT-Kanpur, which also raised concerns about serious ecological impacts. Later, in 2020, a third committee headed by engineer B.P. Das recommended allowing 28 projects. However, the Centre in 2021 decided to permit only seven of these 28 projects where work had already substantially progressed. Most recently, in late 2024, a high-level committee chaired by Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan revisited the B.P. Das committee report. This committee, comprising officials from the Jal Shakti and environment ministries, initially narrowed down the list of projects under consideration to five. However, the Centre's latest submission to the Supreme Court rejects even these five projects, reinforcing a more stringent precautionary approach. The Union Government's affidavit emphasizes that the Ganga river system is distinct from other river systems, necessitating "special treatment" due to its profound ecological, geological, and cultural significance. It underscores the importance of maintaining the geological and ecological integrity of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basins, which serve as critical headstreams for the Ganga and are vital for riverine biodiversity. The government's decision cites the cumulative impact of "bumper-to-bumper" dams, the region's seismic fragility (lying in Seismic Zones IV and V), and its susceptibility to landslides, flash floods, and glacial lake outburst floods. It also reasoned that earlier expert recommendations favoring an increase in hydropower projects failed to adequately assess the cumulative environmental impact of multiple dams and other human activities in this ecologically sensitive Himalayan region. Environmental activists have largely welcomed this move. Mallika Bhanot, an environmental activist and member of the Bhagirathi Eco-sensitive Zone monitoring committee, praised it as a "wise and welcome step" to prevent future tragedies and protect the fragile Ganga-Himalayan ecosystem. The Supreme Court had granted the Centre three months in January to finalize its decision, and the matter is now listed for further hearing on August 21. This policy shift reflects a growing recognition within the government of the critical balance between energy development and environmental preservation in highly sensitive ecological zones. While hydropower is often considered a clean energy source, its unchecked expansion in geologically unstable and ecologically significant regions like the upper Ganga basin has demonstrated severe adverse consequences, as tragically highlighted by the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2021 Rishi Ganga flash flood. The Centre's current stand prioritizes the health and integrity of the Ganga and its basin, acknowledging the risks far outweigh the potential financial benefits of additional hydropower projects in this specific region.

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