19 hydro power plants wait green clearances

NEW DELHI: Nineteen hydroelectric projects in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are pending for environmental and forest clearances, power minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia said on Thursday.

The power ministry has taken up the issues relating to environment and forest clearances to hydro projects with the environment ministry following which a few projects have been cleared, he said

The cabinet committee on infrastructure in its meeting on July 31 directed the defence ministry to accord no-objection certificate to the 3097-mw Etalin project in Arunachal Pradesh, he said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The government has taken several steps to expedite commissioning of hydel power projects in the country including review by the Central Electricity Authority, power projects monitoring panel of the power ministry and the task force on hydro power development.