Question : STUDY ON HYDEL PROJECTS

(a) whether the Government has appointed any Panel to study the impact of hydel projects on the ecology of Uttarakhand; and

(b) if so, the details thereof and the report prepared, so far?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a) &(b) The Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 13.8.2013 in the SLP Civil Appeal No.6736 of 2013 (SLP (C) NO.362 of 2012) in the Alaknanda Hydro Power Company Limited versus Anuj Joshi & Others, directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) interalia, to constitute an Expert Body (EB) (i) to make a detailed study as to whether Hydroelectric power projects, existing and under construction, have caused environmental degradation and if so to what extent, (ii) also whether such projects have contributed to the tragedy which occurred in the month of June, 2013 in Uttarakhand and (iii) to examine the impact of the proposed 24 hydropower projects on the biodiversity in Alaknanda and Bhagirathi River Basins as identified by WII in their report.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) had accordingly constituted an Expert Body (EB) under the Chairmanship of Dr. Ravi Chopra. The Expert Body had submitted its report to MoEF & CC on 16.04.2014. Two members of the committee representing the Central Water Commission (CWC) & Central Electricity Authority

(CEA) had submitted a separate report with divergent views. These two reports were submitted to Hon’ble Supreme Court on 7.5.2014. Hon`ble Supreme Court thereafter directed the Ministry to examine these two reports and submit its view. The Ministry has requested the Consortium of seven IITs (IITC) to examine these two reports and submit a consolidated report. IITC submitted their report and a copy of the report of the IITC has been submitted to Hon’ble SC.