While Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about cleaning the Ganga and keeping it free flowing, the condition of the tributaries of the river in Uttarakhand continues to deteriorate due to alleged anomalies in the implementation of hydro power projects. Due to little water being released from the 400 MW Vishnuprayag hydro electric project in Chamoli district, the Alaknanda river - one of the two headstreams of the Ganga - has been reduced to a rivulet.
The Jaiprakash Power Ventures limited is implementing the 400 MW Vishnuprayag project located along the national highway 58 to Badrinath. The level of water in mountain rivers generally decreases during the winter season due to which the companies implementing power projects tend to retain water at the dam. Due to this the flow in the river downstream is reduced drastically destroying most of the aquatic biodiversity of the river.
In the initial stage of a project, the company agrees to and assures the maintenance of at least a fixed minimum flow of the river but later most companies and the authorities ignore this. This seems to be the case with the Alaknanda river here which has been reduced to a small stream. The Alaknanda flows near the national highway and the power project is also built near the NH 58 but the authorities have apparently not noticed the river being reduced to a small stream.
Activist Vimal Bhai of Matu Jansangathan, who had also filed an application against Jaiprakash Associates in the National Green Tribunal, states that unless some construction work is being undertaken by the company, it should ensure at least adequate flow of water to keep the river alive. Stopping the flow of a river amounts to destroying the river, he added.
Recipient of the Padma Bhushan and the Gandhi Peace Prize, noted environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt said that as per the rules framed by the Government, adequate quantity of water should be released to ensure flow of the river. This will ensure free flow of the river while also maintaining its religious sanctity, he added.
This correspondent phoned the district magistrate and sub-divisional magistrate but the two officials did not respond. On being contacted, the representative of the company stated that he was out of town and would be able to talk later.
Earlier this year, the locals and environmentalists had opposed the dumping of debris in the Alaknanda at the lambagad barrage site by the company but the district authorities had ignored this blatant violation of regulations.