Six Indian hydropower projects stuck for want of clearances

Six NHPC-run hydel projects are stuck due to lack of environmental clearances.

The power major is yet to receive the environmental clearance for the 66 MW Loktak downstream project in Manipur. The in-principal forest clearance has been accorded by the environment ministry.

State-run NHPC is now pursuing the matter of obtaining clearances from Central Electricity Authority (CEA) for all the changes made in the DPR of Kotli Bhel-IA. The expenditure incurred, till April 2012, on this project works out to be Rs 92.72 crore.

For the 600 MW Tawang-I and 800 MW Tawang-II hydroelectric power projects, the Forest Advisory Committee has mentioned the need for the state of Arunachal Pradesh to provide a 15-20 year perspective plan for cumulative development of the river basin.

Despite repeated requests, the Shillong regional office (RO) has still not carried out a site inspection for NHPC's 3,000 MW Dibang Multipurpose project. Meanwhile, CEA has been requested to extend the vailidity of concurrence of this project by another 2 years up to January 21, 2014.

Furthermore, two hydro electric projects, namely the 1,020 MW Bursar HEP in Jammu and the 2,000 MW Subansiri HEP Arunachal Pradesh, are yet to be formulated.