Overview

• Minutes released on October 9 show the Environment Ministry’s expert panel reiterated its recommendation on September 26, and national outlets report the Union government has issued fresh environmental clearance.
• NHPC will develop the run-of-the-river scheme in two stages (1,406 MW and 450 MW) featuring a 192.5‑metre RCC gravity dam, underground powerhouses and an estimated cost of ₹31,380 crore.
• The project spans Ramban, Reasi and Udhampur districts, will create a reservoir area of about 1,159 hectares and is projected to generate roughly 7,500 million units of electricity annually.
• Clearance conditions include a dedicated environmental-management team, online monitoring of e‑flows, detailed compensation mechanisms and an independent impact study five years after commissioning.
• Outstanding requirements include final forest and UT approvals and on-the-ground resettlement, with about 847 hectares of forest to be diverted, an estimated 2,22,081 trees to be felled and roughly 1,477–1,500 families to be displaced, even as Stage‑I forest clearance was granted in July.