The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it is not in favour of permitting any new hydroelectric projects in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river basins of Uttarakhand, except for seven projects that are either already commissioned or in advanced stages of construction. The seven projects named in the joint affidavit by the Ministries of Jal Shakti and Environment, Forest and Climate Change are Tehri Stage–II (1,000 MW), Tapovan Vishnugad (520 MW), Vishnugad Pipalkoti (444 MW), Signoli Bhatwari (99 MW), Phata Byung (76 MW), Madhmaheshwar (15 MW) and Kaliganga–II (4.5 MW).
The affidavit submitted on behalf of the Union government said the seven projects — four of which are already commissioned and three of which have achieved substantial physical and financial progress — may be permitted to proceed only subject to strict compliance with statutory and environmental safeguards. “Apart from these seven projects the Indian government is not in favour of permitting any other new hydro-electric project in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi River in the upper reaches of the River Ganga in the state of Uttarakhand,” the Centre added.
The government said the Ganga river system differs considerably from other river systems and therefore requires special treatment. It stressed the need to preserve the geological and ecological integrity of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basins, which contain the Ganga’s headstreams. The affidavit noted that headstreams are critical for supplying nutrients and sustaining key riverine biodiversity.
Officials cited several reasons for the restraint: the river’s environmental flow (e-flow) needed to maintain aquatic health, the basin’s religious and cultural importance, and pronounced geological vulnerabilities. The affidavit warned that the upper Ganga lies entirely within the most vulnerable Seismic Zones IV and V of the young Himalaya and is prone to landslides, flash floods, glacial lake outburst floods, avalanches and cloudbursts.
The Centre also criticised the 2015 Expert Body–II and the 2020 report led by B P Das for failing to account adequately for cumulative impacts. The affidavit said those reports measured impacts per megawatt and “completely ignored” other anthropogenic pressures, underestimating forest and river damage if all recommended projects proceeded.
The Supreme Court has been considering whether to allow new hydroelectric projects in the upper Ganga since a suo motu case was opened after the 2013 Kedarnath floods. The court granted the Centre three months in January to decide the issue and is also hearing objections from power companies that oppose recommendations to halt certain projects. The matter remains before the court, with implications for future hydropower development and protection of the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/upper-ganga-hydroelectric-projects-sc-centre-uttarakhand-10699415/
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Publish Date: 2026-05-21 02:13:00
