NTPC is racing against time to complete Koldam Hydro Power project in Himachal Pradesh as the Supreme Court approval for diversion of 124.054 ha of land under Majathal Wildlife has not yet been received. Without the SC order, NTPC will not be able to commence dam impounding at the site. It may be remembered here that the project was stuck up as the issue of diversion proposal of the project area falling in the Majathal Wildlife Sanctuary has remained unresolved. However, things started moving for NTPC when the standing committee of NBWL recommended the proposal for diversion of 124.054 ha forest land under Majathal sanctuary in July.

NTPC still needs to get Supreme Court’s nod before going ahead with the dam impounding. NTPC in the mean time has requested the CEC (Central Empowered Committee) to recommend the diversion proposal to the Supreme Court. NTPC has also sought Power Ministry’s intervention to take up the forest diversion proposal with the Ministry of Environment and Forest.

4 X 200 MW Koldam Hydro Power project was started by NTPC in 2003 and should have been completed by 2009 end. However, due to inclement weather and other geological hurdles project was delayed and commissioning was rescheduled to December 2012. Even this deadline could not be met and it was decided to postpone the commissioning to April 2014. Now, Rs. 5,400 crore project is scheduled to commission in September 2014.


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