Lok Sabha Question No. 211 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-02
Subject: National Thermal Power Corporation
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Anto  Antony, Adoor Prakash, Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.211

## ANSWERED ON 02.02.2023

## NATIONAL THERMAL POWER CORPORATION

211. SHRI ANTO ANTONY: ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH: PROF. SOUGATA RAY:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  ongoing  power  projects  in  the  Himalayan  Region  of  the  country;
- (b) whether any probe has been conducted/proposed to be conducted about the impact of the tunnel  projects  of  National  Thermal  Power  Corporation  (NTPC)  with  regard  to  the  sinking  of Joshimath and if so, the details along with the findings thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  noticed/ascertained  that  the  construction  of  hydel  power plant/projects by NTPC has led to the sinking of land at Joshimath in Uttarakhand and nearby areas and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government had conducted any environmental impact assessment/study before setting up of the said plant and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether there is any proposal to stop the ongoing construction of such hydel power projects and if so, the details thereof;
- (f) whether NTPC has given any compensation to the villagers on any occasion earlier due to such natural calamities/other reasons; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) : At present, there are 30 nos. of large Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs) (above 25 MW Installed Capacity) with aggregate Installed Capacity of 11137.50 MW which are being developed in the Himalayan belt across different States in the country. Out of these projects, 23 Nos. of Hydro Electric projects totalling to 10381.5 MW, are under active construction and 7 nos. of HEPs totalling to 756 MW, are held up. Besides, there are 87 nos. HEPs with an aggregate Installed Capacity of 22982 MW in Himalayan belt across different States in the country which are operational.

(b) &(c) : The land subsidence in Joshimath is a very old issue. It was observed way back in 1976. This was noted by Government of Uttar Pradesh and they constituted a Committee, headed by Shri M.C. Mishra, Commissioner, Garhwal to examine reasons for the instability of the land in Joshimath.  The observations of M.C. Mishra Committee are as under:

-  Joshimath  is  not  situated  on  in  situ  rocks.  It  situates  on  weathered,  landslide  mass of big unsettled boulders  in the loose matrix  of  fine  micaceous  sandy  and  clayey material. The rocks are crystalline consisting of schistose gneissic and quartzitic.
- Joshimath lies on an ancient landslide. This landslide zone extends upto big nala near Parsari in the east, in the west upto north-west ridge and nala near Gaukh, in north upto river-bed where some in-situ out crops are noted on the Southern bank, while Northern bank consists of solid in-situ bed rock (Hathi Parbat) and in the South upto and beyond Auli which may extend upto the high mountain ridge forming the water shed.
- Probable cause of subsidence/ cracks can be hill wash, natural angle of repose, cultivation area because of seepage and soil erosion. The construction for Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project was started in the year 2006. The area of subsidence in Joshimath is 15 km upstream from the project components. The tunnel is at a horizontal distance of around 1.1 km away from the outer boundary of Joshimath town and vertically around 1.1 km below the ground level. There are no signs of sinking around the tunnel alignment at the over ground surface. The State Authorities constituted a multi-institutional committee in July 2022, after the reports of land subsidence in Joshimath town. Experts from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology  (WIHG),  CSIR-CBRI,  IIT  Roorkee,  Geological  Survey  of  India  (GSI)  and  the  Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) were part of the team that carried out the geological and  geotechnical  investigation  in  the  area  of  Joshimath  town  of  Chamoli  District  to  identify  the causes of the ongoing subsidence and suggest remedial measures. The report of the committee has no  mention  of  NTPC  Tapovan  Vishnugad  Hydro  Power  Project  causing  land  subsidence  in Joshimath. (d) : Tapovan  Vishnugad  Hydro  Power  Project  was  started  in  2006  after  detailed examination for Environmental Impact, Geological Studies, Hydrological Studies & Seismic Studies by Geological Survey of India (GSI), Central Water Commission (CWC) & National Council of Seismic Design  Parameters  (NCSDP).    Techno  Economic  Clearance  was  given  by  Central  Electricity Authority  (CEA).  Actual  construction  of  the  project  started  only  after  obtaining  Environment Clearance (EC) from Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC). (e) : After  the  reports  of  land  subsidence  in  Joshimath  Town,  the  ADM,  Chamoli  has issued an order on 05.01.2023, to stop all the construction activities at NTPC Tapovan Project, till further  orders.  Accordingly,  all  the  construction  activities  at  NTPC  Tapovan  Project  have  been stopped w.e.f. 05.01.2023. NTPC  has  not  given  any  compensation  to  the  villagers  earlier  due  to  any  natural

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(f) & (g) : calamities or any other reasons.