UTTARKASHI — The process to permanently seal six tunnels at the now-scrapped Lohari Nagpal hydropower project has officially commenced, ending years of uncertainty surrounding the abandoned site.

Work is currently underway to extract accumulated water—a process known as dewatering—at a rapid pace. The project, which was originally designed to generate 600 MW of power, was halted in 2010 following intense protests over environmental risks and the religious sanctity of the Ganga (Bhagirathi).

Sealing & Safety Measures:

• Phased Inspection: Once dewatering is complete, the tunnels will undergo a detailed structural inspection. Any sections found to be unstable or loose will be treated to ensure the safety of the surrounding hillsides.
• Permanent Closure: The tunnels will be permanently sealed by plugging both ends to a depth of approximately five meters each.
• Project Cost: Officials from the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) estimate the total cost of the sealing process to be around ₹22 crore.

Context of the Scrapped Project:

The Lohari Nagpal project began in 2006 but was scrapped by the Central Government in 2010 after nearly 70% of the construction was already finished. Since then, the lack of maintenance and the buildup of water within the 14-kilometer-long tunnel network had raised significant concerns regarding potential landslides and damage to nearby villages.

Mahavir Singh Nath, Executive Engineer at UJVNL, stated that the current operations are vital to eliminate the long-term risk to project structures and local residents.