New Delhi In a breather for GVK group company Alaknanda Hydro Power Co (AHPC), the Supreme Court has allowed the construction of the R3,675-crore Srinagar hydel project in Uttarakhand without any hindrance.

A bench headed by justice Dalveer Bhandari, while seeking reply from Anuj Joshi and Bharat Jhunjhunwala, the petitioners before the Uttarakhand High Court, said: “We make it clear that the construction of the dam may go on without any hindrance. However, during the interregnum period, public hearing by the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) as directed by the high Court, shall remain stayed.”

International Development Association (IDA) will provide dollars 250 million for Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement Programme Project Phase-I, while local beneficiaries would bear dollars 173.5 million.

According to an update project report of World Bank, the project's main objectives are to improve water productivity.

A delegation comprising judge of International Court of Arbitration (ICA) and Indian Secretary Water Resources, are to inspect 969 MW Neelum Jhehlum Hydroelectric Project to weigh Pakistan's arguments against construction of 330 MW Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project in held Kashmir, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

The sources said one member of the delegation has already reached Islamabad whereas others are expected on Friday evening or Saturday.

The delegation will stay in Pakistan for two days.

The Punjab government has approved construction of 18 new small dams under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) to bring a large area of Pothohar under cultivation, said Punjab Irrigation Secretary Irfan Elahi on Wednesday. Out of the 18 dams approved for the construction, he specially mentioned Swera Dam due to its geographical importance. The dam would be constructed on Canal Surag Kas, which links River Indus and River Sawan and is situated 13 km west of Tahseel Pindi Gaib, District Attock. The total area of the dam is 32 km, with a water storage capacity of 2680 acre feet.

The Government of Japan has decided to extend financial support of US$ 96,660 (approx. Rs 8.3 million) to the NGO Rorwali for the construction of Concrete Irrigation Channel in Village Thakhtabad, suburb of Peshawar.

The agreement for the project was signed on Wednesday, between Ambassador of Japan Hiroshi OE, and Shabir Ahmad Khan, Chairman Rorwali, at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Islamabad.

The purpose of the project is to achieve constant and timely provision of irrigation water in the area by cementing existing unpaved and muddy irrigation channel.

The mandatory body of the water and power sector, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) claimed the disbursement of Rs 66.347 billion against resettlement work and payment of compensation to displaced people of Mangla Dam upraising project, costing Rs 101.364 billion.

Mullaperiyar issue is not a conventional inter-state water dispute as visualised in Article 162 of the Constitution. As an extraordinary and ageing dam, the useful life period of which is clearly over, it poses questions of safety which precisely mean questions of survival for the people in at least four districts in Kerala. Safety of the dam is the need of Tamil Nadu as well, as only a sustaining dam can provide water to them.

Water resources minister Ramesh Chandra Sen on Sunday told the parliament that the government was selecting experts to constitute the Bangladesh side on the joint survey team for studying the impacts of the proposed construction of Tipaimukh Dam across the Barak River in the Indian state of Manipur.

‘Bangladesh has already sent a proposal to India for conducting a joint survey on the impacts of the proposed Tipaimukh (Multipurpose) Hydroelectric Project on Bangladesh. The process of forming the Bangladesh side on the joint survey team is in progress,’ he

Making it clear that it would not compromise on its rights on the Mullaperiyar Dam issue, the AIADMK Government in Tamil Nadu has alleged that it is a victim of the Centre’s “persistent indifference” and accused Kerala of whipping up “mass fear and insecurity” over the row.

“The attempts on the part of Kerala to whip up mass fear and insecurity through false propaganda have been the primary cause of these (recent violent) incidents,” Governor, Mr K. Rosaiah, said in his customary address to the first session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly this year.

Ranchi, Jan. 29: The water resources department has sanctioned Rs 40.20 crore for the repair of a main canal and a branch of the Kanchi weir, which had collapsed in 2007 leaving 40,000 acres in Naxalite hotbeds of the district without irrigation facilities. The department has proposed to begin repair work on the main canal and the Baranda branch within the ongoing fiscal and complete the project in June in order to water the fields for a fruitful kharif crop in 125 villages.