Thaindian News

Shimla, April 3 (IANS) An environment clearance proposal of a controversial multi-billion-rupee hydropower dam project in Himachal Pradesh that will quench the thirst of Delhi would be re-submitted to the union environment and forests ministry this week, an official said here Sunday.

“A fresh proposal with minimum forest land diversion for construction of project would be submitted with the environment ministry by April 5,” Tarun Kapoor, managing director of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (HPPCL), the state-owned project executing agency, told IANS.

He said the fresh proposal for the Renuka Dam was made after the objections raised by the ministry over cutting of 1.77 lakh trees.

The ministry Aug 31, 2010 objected to submersion of 775 hectares of forest land with the construction of a dam on a tributary of the Yamuna river in Sirmaur district, some 250 km from national capital Delhi.

The ministry’s communication said: “The recommendations of the forest advisory committee (of the ministry) were placed for approval before the ministry, which has declined to accept…as the proposal involves high-density forest and requires felling of a very large number of trees.”

Kapoor said according to the fresh proposal no tree would be axed in the submergence area between the normal reservoir level of 766 m and 762 m. The four metre area would be submerged for a shorter duration in a year.

The maximum reservoir level is 775 m, while the minimum is 710 m.

“The revised proposal will axe only 8,300 fully grown trees and rest are shrubs and low woody perennial plants,” he said, adding that only the broad-leaved species are endemic to the area and these could be regenerated within 10 to 15 years.

He said the ministry’s estimation over cutting of 1.77 lakh trees was quite high and the number included shrubs and bushes in maximum.

The maximum height of the dam is 148 m (778 m from the sea level) and the total land being acquired is 1,684 hectare.

Kapoor said the dam height could not be reduced as it would drastically reduce its storage capacity.

“The purpose of the dam is to supply 275 million gallons per day to Delhi. If the height of the dam reduces, it reduces its storage capacity too.”

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said Saturday union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh would undertake field visit of the Renuka dam this month to know the ground realities and assess the exact situation.

The dam, which has already got the environment clearance, has been stalled following concerns over the felling of trees and the displacement of locals.

The water from Renuka dam, to be built at a cost of Rs.27 billion ($561 million), will be released into the Yamuna river, from where it will flow to Haryana’s Hathinikund barrage and finally reach Delhi. It will generate 40 MW of electricity.

The project has been facing protests with affected families rejecting the compensation being offered for their lands that will be submerged by the reservoir.

The Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, a group of NGOs fighting for the cause of those facing rehabilitation due to development activities, said more than 700 families of 37 villages would be affected by the dam’s construction.

It is claiming that the actual number of trees to be submerged, including in private area, is more than 15 lakh.