The nod to the dam which was first approved in 1976 and work on which was halted in 1992 due to lack of funds has reignited a decades-old debate, with environmentalists again red-flagging the project as a flood risk to Delhi and ecological threat to the Himalayas.
The financial approval to the 300 MW Lakhwar Multipurpose Project, which will straddleDehradunand Tehri districts with its 22 kilometre long reservoir, was given by the ministry. The project is now awaiting final clearance from the .
The multipurpose project will provide drinking water and electricity to six states Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. It will also provide Irrigation on 33,780 hectares. For the project, 90% of the cost is to be spent by the Centre while the remaining 10% will be borne by the states.