Green clearance to Ratle hydroelectric project extended

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has extended the validity of the environmental clearance (EC) for the 850-MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab river till December 2030.

The Ratle project, being implemented by Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL), is a run-of-the-river scheme located in Kishtwar district. The project involves the construction of a concrete gravity dam and an underground powerhouse. The EAC noted that the original environmental clearance for the project was granted on December 12, 2012, with an initial validity period up to December 11, 2022.

The clearance was originally issued in favour of GVK Ratle in 2012. However, the project was abandoned by the developer in July 2014 and subsequently remained embroiled in litigation, resulting in no construction activity between July 2014 and 2021.

In June 2021, a new joint venture was formed between NHPC Limited and the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited (JKSPDCL). The environmental clearance was formally transferred in the name of RHPCL on September 27, 2021. The project is currently being executed by RHPCL, with NHPC holding a 51 per cent equity stake and JKSPDCL 49 per cent.

Last year, the Environment Ministry clarified that the period during which the project proponent was unable to implement the environmental clearance would be treated as a “zero period” for calculating its validity. Accepting RHPCL’s request, the EAC upheld the extension on the grounds that the project lost substantial time between July 2014 and July 2021 due to litigation and disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials said the strategically important project has achieved 26.02 per cent physical progress and is expected to be completed by 2028. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) accorded sanction to the project in January 2021 at an estimated cost of Rs 5,281.94 crore.

Construction activities are expected to generate employment for around 4,000 people. Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir is projected to benefit from free power valued at Rs 5,289 crore and water usage charges amounting to Rs 9,581 crore over the project’s 40-year life cycle, an official statement said.