DEHRADUN: Nearly 500 families across 15 villages in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts have to be displaced for the ambitious Jamrani multi-purpose project.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Saturday, “The cabinet has approved land at Parag Farm for relocation of affected families. Besides, an MoU on cost and profit sharing has to be signed soon between Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.”
Dhami pointed out that the completion of two major hydropower projects – Jamrani Dam and Lakhwar multipurpose project – will significantly help meet the water supply needs of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. “The Jamrani dam will provide electricity to Uttarakhand and water will be shared with Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, from Lakhwar, Uttarakhand will receive power supply, whereas water will be shared with other states in accordance with the 1994 agreement,” he added.
The Centre will provide Rs 1730.2 crore, which is 90 % of the total cost of the Jamrani project. Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh will provide the rest, each contributing 5%. The final approval for transfer of 351.55 hectares of forest land affected by the Jamrani dam to the irrigation department was given by the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change ministry in January 2023. “The approval for 300.5-acres of Prag Farm for relocation of project-affected families was passed by the cabinet in May this year, and will be soon transferred to the irrigation department,” said Dhami.
