Dehradun, October 21

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.

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

Rawat attributed the development on the project to the joint efforts of the state and Central governments. He said it would fulfil a long cherished dream of the residents of Bhabar area, a region south of the lower Himalayas and Shivalik hills.

“People of Terai-Bhabar region will get gravity water from the project which will also irrigate over 5,000 hectares of land in Uttarakhand,” he told reporters.

The Rs 2,584-crore project proposed in the 1970s will provide water to people of Nainital 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. — PTI