Not even a single stone has moved since August last year at Kotli Bhel HEP when the Supreme Court issued orders prohibiting construction on 24 projects in the state including NHPC’s Kolti Bhel project following massive landslides and flash floods that killed hundreds of people. The environment ministry had constituted a committee upon the direction of the Supreme Court to conduct a detailed study as to whether the existing and under construction hydroelectric projects have contributed to the environmental degradation and if so, then to what extent. The Committee submitted its report on April 16, 2014 and the contents will be discussed by the apex court on July 22, 2014. NHPC will be able to restart the project work only if the SC clears the way which may happen only after July 22nd.
Kotli Bhel HEP envisages implementation of a 1045 MW hydel power project on river Ganga at Rishikesh. The project would be implemented in three stages and in the first stage 3X65 MW power plant will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,298 crore. NHPC had signed MoU with Uttarakhand government in 2003 for this project.
