Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (VPHEP):
An independent panel of the World Bank is considering a plea by residents of Haat village, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand to investigate environmental damage from the under-construction Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (VPHEP) in the district.
- The 444-MW VPHEP is being built by the Tehri Hydropower Development Corporation (THDC), a partially State-owned enterprise.
- The project is primarily funded by the World Bank and was sanctioned in 2011.
- It is proposed to be completed in June 2023.
- About 40% of the funds for the $792 million project (₹64,000 crore approx.) has already been disbursed.
- Residents in their complaint have said muck dumping from the dam threatens the local Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which is deemed to be of historical and cultural importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
