Lok Sabha Question No. 2964 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-12
Subject: Environmental Review of Hydro-Electric Projects
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Pinaki Misra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2964

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2021

## Environmental Review of Hydro-Electric Projects

## 2964.   SHRI PINAKI MISRA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of hydro - electric projects that have received environmental clearances in the Himalayan region;
- (b) whether the Government has considered/proposes to consider a safety and environmental review of all such ongoing projects following the Uttarakhand flood;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the status of implementation of the Supreme Court appointed Ravi Chopra Committee recommendations in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) to (c) As  per  EIA  Notification,  2006  hydro-electric  projects ≥ 25  MW  capacity require prior Environmental Clearance.  Total 15 Nos. of hydro-electric projects (Category A) have been granted Environmental Clearance (EC) under the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, as amended, since March, 2014 to till date and the details are enclosed at Annexure.

The Ministry of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  had constituted an Expert Body (EB) for conducting a Cumulative Impact Assessment of Hydro Power projects and Carrying Capacity Study of upper reaches of Ganga River in Uttarakhand in  the  year  2015.  The  Expert  Body  has  recommended  the  under  construction  projects  to whom EC has been granted.

- (d) Ravi  Chopra  Committee report submitted in April  2014  was further  considered  by consortium of 7 IITs formed by the MoEF&CC. The issue thereafter examined by the Expert Body  constituted  to  carry  out  Cumulative  Impact  Assessment  (CIA)  &  Carrying  Capacity Study (CCS) of upper reaches of river Ganga in the State of Uttarakhand. Hon'ble Supreme Court  vide  Order  dated  24.11.2015  directed  framing  of  a  common  policy  framework regarding  consideration  of  Hydropower  projects  in  upper  reaches  of  River  Ganga  in consultation with Ministry of Power and Ministry of Jal Shakti.  The common policy frame work has been prepared for submission before the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

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## Annexure referred in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2964 asked by Shri Pinaki Mishra

|   Sr. No. | Brief details of the project                                                     | Date of Issue of EC   | State             |
|-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|         1 | Tato - I Hydro Electric Project ( 170 MW) by M/s. Siyota Hydro Power Pvt. Ltd.   | 10 th November, 2015  | Arunachal Pradesh |
|         2 | Pauk Hydro Electric Project Stage - I ( 120 MW)by M/s. Pauk Hydro Power Pvt. Ltd | 10 th November, 2015  | Arunachal Pradesh |
|         3 | Heo Hydro Electric Project ( 210 MW) by M/s. Heo Hydro Power Pvt. Ltd.           | 10 th November, 2015  | Arunachal Pradesh |
|         4 | 75MW Kangtangshiri HEP by M/s Kangtangshiri Hydro power Pvt. Ltd.                | 22 nd February, 2016  | Arunachal Pradesh |
|         5 | 66 MWSimang-II HEP by M/s Upper Simang Power Pvt. Ltd                            | 17 th March, 2016     | Arunachal Pradesh |
|         6 | Dibang Multipurpose Project (3000MW) by M/s. NHPC                                | 19 th May, 2015       | Arunachal Pradesh |
|         7 | Lower Kopili HEP (120 MW) project by Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd.     | 4 th September, 2019  | Assam             |
|         8 | Luhri HEP Stage-I (210 MW) by SJVN Corporate Environment                         | 17 th March, 2020     | Himachal Pradesh  |
|         9 | 660 MWHEPby M/s Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd.                            | 28 th September, 2015 | Jammu and Kashmir |
|        10 | 624 MWKIRU HEP by Chenab Valley Power Projects P LTD                             | 24 th June, 2016      | Jammu and Kashmir |
|        11 | 540MWKWARHEPby Chenab Valley Power Projects P LTD                                | 10 th April, 2017     | Jammu and Kashmir |
|        12 | 115 MWRongnichu HEP By Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Limited                   | 2 nd February, 2021   | Sikkim            |
|        13 | 110 MWHEPby M/s Gati Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.                                    | 8 th April, 2015      | Sikkim            |
|        14 | 300 MWLakhwar Multipurpose Project by UJVN Ltd                                   | 2 nd February, 2021   | Uttarakhand       |
|        15 | Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project (CCA: 57065 ha.) by Irrigation Department       | 13 th December, 2019  | Uttarakhand       |

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