No Hydel Project Sans Environmental Clearance, Says Ramesh

Kolkata, Apr 5 : The Central Government will not go ahead with any proposed hydel power project in the country if it fails to receive environmental clearance and the people's acceptance, Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh said here today.

"We are now waiting for an environment impact report on the proposed hydel power projects on Teesta, Bhagirathi and Alakananda rivers. Without cooperation from people we can't implement any such project," Ramesh told reporters after attending a workshop here.

On the controversies surrounding another proposed hydel power project at Tipaimukh Dam in Manipur, Ramesh said that even as the project was cleared in principle, the Centre would give it a fresh look considering the heat it has generated in both Manipur and Bangladesh.

Ramesh was speaking in the presence of his Bangladesh counterpart Hasan Mahmud, who did not make any comment. "We must ensure that ties between the two countries remain unaffected," Ramesh said.

Tipaimukh Dam is a proposed hydel power project on Barak river in Manipur. The project sparked controversy as India plans to build the dam just 100 km off the Bangladesh border.