37 hydropower projects in ecologically sensitive Lahaul& Spiti

The Himachal government has allotted 37 hydropower projects with capacity of 2,292 MW in tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti with fragile ecology. However, only four projects with 6.40 MW have been commissioned and the remaining 33 projects are still in initial stage of survey and investigations and implementation agreements have not been signed, power minister Sujan Singh Pathania told the Assembly today. Replying to a question of Ravi Thakur, Congress MLA from Lahaul and spiti, Pathania said that Local Area Development Committees had not been constituted so far and as such no meeting of these committees had taken place.  He informed that Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has been allotted 420 MW Reoli Dugli hydropower project while Seli Hydroelectric Power Company has been allotted the 400 MW Seli project on Chenab River, near Shulling village. Residents of Lahaul Valley had knocked the doors of union environment and forests ministry in 2012, protesting against the upcoming hydropower projects on Chenab River basin. The Gypsa and Purthi hydropower projects with 300 MW capacity each have been allotted to HPPCL and Purti Power Pvt Ltd while Rasil (130 MW), Bardang (126 MW) and Tandi (104 MW) have been allotted to ABG Energy Himachal while the Chatru project with capacity of 120 MW would be executed by DCM Sriram Infrastructures. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/37-hydropower-projects-in-ecologically-sensitive-lahaul-spiti-114021101526_1.html