Lok Sabha Question No. 3480 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-20
Subject: Hydropower Projects
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Y. S. Avinash Reddy, Geetha Viswanath Vanga, Abdul Khaleque, Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3480

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2021

## Hydropower Projects

## 3480.   SHRI Y.S. AVINASH REDDY: SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY: SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE:

SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH:

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

- (a) whether  some  hydropower  projects  in  the  country  are  risky  and  posing  danger  to environment;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  in  the  last  five  years  till  date,  State  wise  and  the  reasons therefor along with the corrective steps taken till date;
- (c) whether a system exists to monitor environmental issues even after giving clearance to hydel projects and dam; and
- (d) if so, the details of such audits and action undertaken in the last three years, if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) &(b) As  per  the  provisions  of  Section  8(1)  of  the  Electricity  Act,  2003,  any generating company intending to set-up a hydropower generating station has to prepare and submit  to  the  Central  Electricity  Authority  (CEA)  for  its  concurrence,  any  hydropower project involving a capital expenditure exceeding such sum (presently, ₹1000 crore), as may be  fixed  by  the  Central  Government  from  time  to  time,  by  notification.  Besides  obtaining concurrence  from  CEA  for  such  projects,  necessary  clearances  are  also  required  to  be obtained from the Central Water Commission as per extant guidelines in this regard. It is only after obtaining the concurrence from CEA that the hydropower projects are submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest &  Climate Change by the Project Proponent for environmental  clearances  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  Environment  Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006 as amended from time to time. Under the existing EIA notification,  Environment  Clearance  is  required  for  hydropower  projects  with  capacity greater than or equal to 25 MW. In accordance with the aforesaid provisions of the aforesaid EIA  notification  a  detailed  stepwise  process  involving  conducting  EIA,  preparation  of Environment Management Plan (EMP), conducting public hearing are vigorously followed and  it  is  only  after  submission  of  the  EIA  and  EMP  reports  that  the  Expert  Appraisal Committee (EAC) comprising domain experts from the relevant fields examine the project. Such detailed examination by the EAC involves assessment of the spatial extent of potential impact and potential impacts of human health and natural and man-made resources including inter  alia  various  aspects  like  submission  of--environmental-flow  of  the  river  report,  dam break analysis report, disaster management report, fisheries management plan, detailed social impact analysis,  conservation  plan  for  schedule  one  species,  solid  waste  management  plan with scientific practices, forest protection plan, reservoir treatment plan, report on protection from landslides areas, volcanic zones, seismic analysis, green belt development plan, muck disposal  plan,  early  warning  system  plan,  protection  from  Glacial  Lake  Outburst  Flood (GLOF) and Landslide Lake Outburst Flood (LLOF) and such other anticipatory impact of the proposed hydropower project.

It  is  only  after  such  detailed  study  and  analysis  that  environmental  clearances  are issued which incorporating the necessary safeguards and conditions to be adhered to by the Project Proponent (PP) before undertaking construction of the project.

Besides above, the projects are also required to take Consent to Establish (CTE) for the purpose of establishing the project & Consent to Operate (CTO) (on regular basis) from the concerned State Governments. The CTE/CTO stipulates conditions that are monitored by the respective States.

(c) & (d) The compliance of environmental safeguard conditions is regularly monitored by the Monitoring Division within the MoEFCC  and its 19 Integrated Regional Offices(IROs)  of  the  Ministry  situated  across  the  country.  The  EIA  Notification  2006, mandates submission of half-yearly compliance reports by the project proponent in respect of the stipulated EC conditions to the Ministry and its Integrated Regional Offices (IROs). IROs analyze  these  six  monthly  progress  reports,  undertake  inspection  of  the  unit,  if  required. During  last  three  years  the  Ministry  monitored  total  30  Hydro  power  projects  across  the country.  State-wise  list  of  number  of  hydropower  projects  for  which  monitoring  has  been undertaken in last three years (Annexure -I) .The concerned IRO office shares the Inspection Reports  with  the  Project  Authorities  for  further  necessary  action  at  their  end.  There  is  no provision  of  environmental  audit  under  the  EIA  Notification,  2006  or  the  Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Further, CWC has been entrusted the responsibility of monitoring the compliance by project authorities on maintenance of desired e-flows. Monitoring of e-flows is being carried out  by  CWC since 1 st January,  2019 for  11  projects  including  7  Hydro  Electric Projects  in Uttarakhand, mentioned at Annexure II.

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Annexure -Ireferred  in  Reply  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  3480  regarding Hydropower Projects to be answered on 20.12.2021.

List of hydro power projects monitored during last three years for compliance of EC conditions

| Sr. No.   | States Under Jurisdictions   |   Number of hydropower projects monitored during last three years |
|-----------|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Jharkhand                    |                                                                 1 |
| 2.        | Himachal Pradesh             |                                                                11 |
| 3.        | Uttarakhand                  |                                                                10 |
| 4.        | West Bengal                  |                                                                 4 |
| 5.        | Odisha                       |                                                                 2 |
| 6.        | Jammu &Kashmir               |                                                                 2 |
|           | Sub Total                    |                                                                30 |

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## Annexure -II referred in Reply of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3480 regarding Hydropower Projects to be answered on 20.12.2021.

## List of projects which are being monitored by the CWC for desired E-flow

1. ManeriBhali Stage-I HEP, Uttarakhand
2. ManeriBhali Stage -II HEP, Uttarakhand
3. Tehri - Koteshwar Dam, Uttarakhand
4. Vishnuprayag HE, Uttarakhand
5. Srinagar HEP, Uttarakhand
6. SingoliBhatwari HE, Uttarakhand
7. Pashulok Barrage/ Chilla HEP, Uttarakhand

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