Both the Governments, the Union Government and the UT Government seem to be not that serious which the Ujh Multipurpose Power Project demands in respect of initiating the due process that leads to start of the work on this much hyped enterprise. It may be recalled that despite the revised proposal of the project having since been accepted by the Technical Advisory Committee of Union Jal Shakti Ministry, necessary follow-up and proceeding ahead is seen nowhere. Is there no clarity as to how environmental concerns likely to sprout on account of this project could be addressed. Since immense environmental costs are feared to be met with as climate and environmental experts have envisaged, mainly on account of the aftermaths of felling of hundreds of thousands of green trees to make way for this project loaded with fulfilling irrigation needs of vast chunks of thirsty land and enable the UT to attain power surplus status, the stalemate, perhaps continues though the pointed causes of it being beyond comprehension.
Several high level meetings having periodically taken place since the year 2014 to sort out the irritating or impending factors, the process continues even now as can be adjudged by the recent review meeting which was co-chaired by the two Union Ministers and held at New Delhi the outcome of which should have resulted in the early prospects of starting the work on the project. The revised cost of the project along with the revised proposal after the Central Water Commission doing the detailed techno-economic review, was duly accepted. At December 2019 levels the cost of the project having been reckoned involving Rs.11908 crore to anticipate a generation capacity of power of nearly 90 Mega Watts and not of a promising 196 MW of power generation as projected earlier is a significant development. So is true of the project’s irrigation capacity.
Needless to add, the Detailed Project Report of this multipurpose project was first of all prepared by Indus Basin Organisation of the Central Water Commission way back in the year 2013 and it is perhaps even after nine years in a state of indecisiveness about when the work on it finally starts. That , however, being much of a cause of concern as the non breaking of the stalemate, as apparent but not cogently known, in the process of taking a decision about the earliest start of the work on this power project appears to be baffling. We should not be merely celebrating the acceptance of the revised proposal but see how things now moved beyond and with a speed.
The project, however, needs to be seen in the context of its strategic importance vis-a-vis the Indus Waters Treaty angle and regulation of waters flowing from it across the border. The water released to generate the power after making lot of investment may not flow out of the country which warrants such projects of high profile to be implemented on priority basis. What are other sundry issues in respect of this project, considered critical, are not spelt clearly but most of them being pending need to be cleared and addressed so that remaining few ones are zeroed in to be accordingly decided upon. We learn that the process for obtaining statutory clearance certificates/ NOCs from various agencies, departments for this project has not yet started.
It may not be out of context to state that the revised cost estimates calculated at December 2019 levels may again turn out to be redundant in case any further delay was caused in the implementation of the project. In whose realm such important left over issues fall to be decided upon and sanction/approval accorded, whether the Union Government or the UT Government, reportedly has not been decided so far. Same is true of the PDD acting as nodal agency for the project but ultimately who shall step into the shoes, in other words, become the permanent authority as the executing agency of the project, too is not known. The project otherwise is destined to be all complete within a period of six years and, therefore, what is needed is sorting out pending issues and initiating the process of starting the work on it at the earliest.
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