Jamrani dam in U'khand gets environmental clearance

Dehradun: The proposed Jamrani dam project of Uttarakhand, which has been hanging fire for over 40 years, has finally got environmental clearance from the Centre, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Wednesday.

He said environmental clearance to the long-awaited project paves the way for its speedy implementation.

Attributing the progress towards implementation of the project to the joint efforts of the state government and the Centre, Rawat said it will fulfil a long cherished dream of the residents of Bhabar area, a region south of the lower Himalayas and the Shivalik hills. "People of Terai-Bhabar region will get gravity water from the project which will also irrigate over 5000 hectares of land in Uttarakhand," the chief minister told reporters.

The Rs 2,584-crore project proposed in the 1970s will provide water to people of Nanital and Udham Singh Nagar districts in Uttarakhand for both drinking and irrigation purposes besides producing 14 mw of power, he said.

Located on the Gola river in Nainital district, the dam will be nine-km-long, 130-metre-wide and 485-metre-high.

The project got technical clearance from the Central Water Commission in February this year. The forest department has already given 351.49 hectares of land for the project and the state government has sanctioned an initial sum of Rs 89 crore for the project. The project is considered the lifeline of residents of Bhabar area.