Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), a government-owned hydro power producer, has moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to consider its plea for grant of environment and forest clearances to its three proposed hydroelectric projects coming up in Uttarakhand.
The SJVNL, a 75:25 joint venture between the Centre and the Himachal Pradesh government, has also requested the apex court to implead it as a party in a matter related to grant of clearances to six hydro projects on Alaknanda and Bhagirath river basins in the state.
The company’s three proposed hydroelectric projects (HEPs) — the 252 MW Devsari project coming up over Pinder river, the 60MW Naitwar Mori project over Tons river and 51W Jakhol Sankri over Supin river — are at various stages of environment clearances before the environment ministry.
According to the mini Navratana PSU, which was set up in 1988, none of the three projects are in the list of 24 projects that are subject matter of the August 2013 interim order whereby environmental and forest clearances in relation to 24 projects was stayed.
“The applications are pending for consideration before a committee but the projects are not being considered on the mistaken ground that in view of the interim order the projects cannot be considered for clearances… The MoEF has in fact delisted” the three projects from consideration and the same decision is “erroneous”, the SJVNL stated in its impleadment application.
