Centre clears Sirkari Bhyol Rupasiyabagh hydro project in Uttarakhand, CM Dhami calls it 'historic step'
Officials said the proposal to divert 29.997 hectares of forest land for the project was cleared during a meeting held at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami hailed the approval of the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL)'s project as a major achievement for the state.
The project has been designed with environmental sensitivity in mind. With around one kilometre of tunnel and most of the infrastructure planned underground, the impact on forest land is expected to be minimal.
Officials noted that the project area does not fall within any national park, wildlife sanctuary, or eco-sensitive zone, and will not result in any displacement of people.
The hydroelectric plant is expected to generate approximately 529 million units of green energy annually. It is anticipated to play a key role in meeting Uttarakhand's power demands and advancing the state's goal of energy self-reliance. The project is also expected to boost local employment--both permanent and temporary--and support infrastructure development, helping to curb migration from the region.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on getting the project approved, CM Dhami said, 'This project is a historic step towards the all-round development of the border area of Uttarakhand. With the guidance and support of the Prime Minister, the state has achieved unprecedented success in the field of energy and employment. The state government is working with full commitment towards public welfare. This project will become the foundation stone of the bright future of Uttarakhand.'
Earlier, CM Dhami had sought the Centre's approval for the project during his meetings with Prime Minister Modi and Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
PM Narendra Modi says economy strong, seeks self-reliance in tech
India is the world's fastest-growing major economy and is rapidly moving towards becoming a global leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Bengaluru on Saturday, days after US President Donald Trump described the country's economy as 'dead' amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations. PM Narendra Modi with Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and Union minister Manohar Lal during a Metro ride in Bengaluru on Sunday. (ANI) Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating the 19-kilometre Yellow Line of the Bengaluru Metro, Modi said India was on track to become one of the world's top three economies as he credited the country's economic momentum to the central government's 'reform, perform, transform' approach. 'India is currently the fastest-growing major economy in the world. In the past eleven years, India's economy has risen from the 10th position to the top five globally and is rapidly progressing towards becoming one of the top three economies,' he said. The PM's endorsement of the country's economic growth came after Trump, on July 30, announced 25% punitive tariffs on Indian goods entering America for purchasing Russian oil. A day later he again targeted India, saying, 'I don't care what India does with Russia… They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.' On August 6, he signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods. India has called the American actions 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable' and said it will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests. In his address, Modi also called for the country to accelerate its self-reliance in the technology sector as he pressed for a stronger 'Tech Atmanirbhar Bharat'. 'Indian tech companies have made their mark on the global stage. They have built software and products for the world. The time has come to give greater priority to the needs of India. We must move forward in manufacturing new products,' he said. The statement was in line with his August 2 remarks in which he called on citizens to adopt the spirit of 'swadeshi' and support locally made products, stressing that true service to the nation lies in promoting indigenous goods amid global economic uncertainties. The additional 25% tariffs, due to take effect on August 27, will put Indian exporters at a significant disadvantage compared to their rivals in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam – which face tariffs of between 19% and 20%. In his speech, Modi said that the country's rapid pace of development was linked to its economic growth as he focused on the rise of the country's exports. 'Before 2014, India's total export was $468 billion, but today it is $824 billion. We used to import mobile phones but now we are among the top five exporters of mobile handsets. Our electronic export before 2014 was $6 billion, which has gone up to $38 billion dollars,' Modi said. He added: 'These achievements give strength to our concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). We will march together and build a developed India.' Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, Union ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Ashwini Vaishnaw were also present on the occasion. During his visit, the PM also laid the foundation stone for the Bangalore Metro Phase-3 project and flagged off three Vande Bharat Express trains as he underscored the country's growing infrastructure footprint across sectors by highlighting the increase in the number of metro rail services, railway lines, airports, AIIMS and IITs. This was the first time Modi visited Bengaluru since Operation Sindoor, India's military action against terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation to April's Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. Modi credited the success of the operation to indigenous defence technologies. 'A key factor in the operation's success was 'Make in India' in defence, which had immense contribution from the youth of Karnataka and Bengaluru,' he said. I congratulate the youth of this state,' he said, adding that Pakistan, which 'came to defend the terrorists', was forced 'to its knees' within hours. Praising the city's global standing, he called Bengaluru 'a city that has become a symbol of the rise of the new India… A city that has put India's flag on the global IT map. If there is anything behind Bangalore's success story, it is the hard work and talent of its people.' Siddaramaiah, who spoke before Modisaid the state has been spending more than the Centre on Bengaluru's metro network, even though the project is meant to be jointly funded. 'Works for the Bengaluru Metro started in 2005 when Dr Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, and the agreement was to take up works in a 50:50 fund ratio. However, the state's contribution to building the metro is high,' he said, urging the Centre to match Karnataka's funding model with that of Maharashtra and Gujarat. In response, Modi called for cooperation over political rivalry. 'Whether it is the central government or the state government, all are committed to serving the people,' he said.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
We want to know the truth, we want transparency: US lawyer on AI 171 crash
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], August 11 (ANI): The lead US attorney, Mike Andrews, representing over 65 families affected by the tragic AI171 plane crash here, emphasised the importance of transparency and truth in the ongoing investigation.'We want to know the truth, we want transparency and exactly what happened," Andrews told ANI. 'These families want to know, and they deserve the respect to know what happened to their loved ones."'We also met the survivor and his family. This appears to be a very humble and hardworking family that is suffering a horrific tragedy. We are currently working on several potential theories that could have caused the throttle control malfunctioning system," he area of focus is the potential impact of moisture on the system. 'One question is whether or not moisture can affect the systems and cause a problem," Andrews explained. He also slammed the ongoing compensation delays for the victims' families, noting that such a 'bureaucratic process" would not have existed if former Chairperson of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata, had been highlighted the late Ratan Tata's legacy of compassion, suggesting his presence could have prevented such hurdles faced by the grieving families.'Even in the US, we know who Ratan Tata was. We know a little bit in the US about his work ethic and his focus on being humble and taking care of his employees and so we know that if he were here today, we don't believe employees and victims and people who were on the aeroplane and on the ground would be subjected to a bureaucratic process in which they're delayed payment," he July 26, Air India released Rs 25 lakh in interim compensation payments to the families of 147 of the 229 passengers who lost their lives in the crash and 19 others who lost their lives on the ground. These payments will be adjusted against the final compensation to be determined Tata Group has also established 'The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust' in memory of the victims. The Trust has pledged an ex gratia payment of Rs 1 crore for each deceased individual and also supports the rebuilding of the BJ Medical College Hostel infrastructure, which was damaged in the accident, and provides assistance to first responders, medical personnel, and other support workers affected by the June 12, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. (ANI)
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Putting the puzzle together: Attorney Mike Andrews on AI171 crash
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], August 11 (ANI): The lead US attorney, Mike Andrews, representing over 65 families affected by the tragic AI171 plane crash here, outlined the complexities of the ongoing litigation and stated that the 'challenges initially are putting the puzzle together, finding out what happened."Speaking to ANI, Andrews said that the challenge lies in determining the cause of the crash and identifying whether or not there is a defect that contributed to the tragedy.'There are always challenges in litigation. There are many challenges in product liability litigation. Not only do we have to start where we are now in determining what happened, but we also have to determine whether or not there is a defect that caused this," Andrews explained. The investigation will examine potential design or manufacturing issues, as well as maintenance problems, to piece together the events leading up to the crash.'We need to determine whether the problem stems from design or manufacturing issues, or if it's a maintenance problem. Sometimes it's a combination of the two. So the challenges initially are putting the puzzle together, finding out what happened," he highlighted the intricacies of the case, stating, 'Did a defect render this product unfit for its intended purpose? Was it foreseeable that it was going to be used in this way? Did someone misuse it, and did it fail under its ordinary use?" The investigation will also scrutinise the aircraft's complex electrical and computer systems to determine if any uncommanded or erroneous inputs contributed to the crash.'So, in this case, the question is whether it is foreseeable that a plane will take off. What happened behind the scenes? This is a very complex, complicated, electrically driven, computer-operated aircraft. What other things could have gone wrong? Did the pilots make the inputs, or did the computer call for an uncommanded, uncontrolled, erroneous input that led to this?" he lawyer emphasised the importance of analysing alternative designs that could have prevented or mitigated the crash. 'Once we make those determinations, we begin to look at things like alternative designs. Are there designs out there that could have prevented this from happening, could have mitigated the injuries, could have made it less likely?" On June 12, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India later released the preliminary report into the tragic crash, outlining the harrowing sequence of events that unfolded within 90 seconds of takeoff. It noted that both engines of the aircraft shut down unexpectedly during the initial climb, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust and rapid crash represents one of the deadliest aviation accidents in India in recent history. (ANI)
