NEW DELHI, Dec 14 � The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has so far not rejected any hydro power project of Arunachal Pradesh from environmental angle.
Projects are considered for environment clearance according to the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, said Minister for Environment and Forest, Jairam Ramesh in a Rajya Sabha question by Amar Singh.
The Minister, however, denied any differences between the MoEF and Arunachal Pradesh Government.
A communication was received from the Arunachal Chief Minister expressing the need to harness hydro power potential in the State. Expeditious clearances to hydro power projects for larger interest of the nation and not to hold up the environmental clearance of individual projects for want of basin-wise studies, the Minister confirmed.
Meanwhile, the peak power deficit in the Northeastern States is as high as 18.5 per cent. As against a requirement of 1,913 MW, the peak availability of power is 1,560 MW, leaving the region with a deficit of 353 MW.
Among the power deficit States, Meghalaya tops the list, with a 24.6 per cent peak deficit. Assam, however, was better off, with the least gap between peak availability and requirement, of 3.5 per cent, said sources in the Power Ministry.
With respect to the energy supplies, the region witnessed a deficit of 10.7 per cent. As against the requirement of 5,924 million units, energy availability was 5,288 MU, showing a gap of 636 MU.
Mizoram suffered the most on this account, with a 17.5 per cent energy deficit, contrasted with Assam, where it was eight per cent.
