In a significant decision aimed at protecting the fragile upper Ganga basin, the Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that no new hydroelectric projects should be permitted in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers, except for seven projects that are already commissioned or at advanced stages of construction .
The affidavit, filed jointly by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, represents a complete reversal of earlier expert recommendations that had favoured allowing up to 28 projects in the region .
Seven projects exempted
The government submitted that only the following seven projects may be permitted to proceed, subject to strict environmental safeguards :
- Tehri Stage – II (1,000 MW)
- Tapovan Vishnugad (520 MW)
- Vishnugad Pipalkoti (444 MW)
- Signoli Bhatwari (99 MW)
- Phata Byung (76 MW)
- Madhmaheshwar (15 MW)
- Kaliganga – II (4.5 MW)
Of these seven, four projects are already commissioned and three have achieved substantial physical and financial progress .
Why Ganga needs special treatment
The Centre argued that the Ganga river system requires “special treatment” because of its ecological, geological, and cultural significance, which sets it apart from other river systems .
The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basins harbour the headstreams of the Ganga, which are critical for supplying food, nutrients, and maintaining biodiversity in the riverine ecosystem .
The government stated in no uncertain terms: “Apart from these seven projects, the Indian government is not in favour of permitting any other new hydro-electric project in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi River in the upper reaches of the River Ganga in the state of Uttarakhand” .
Environmental risks outweigh benefits
The Centre told the top court that the risk and damage to the environment, including the health of the river, are far greater than the financial benefits of hydropower .
The affidavit highlighted the region’s geological fragility, noting that the Ganga river basin lies entirely within the most vulnerable Seismic Zones IV and V of the young Himalayan Mountain system .
The government further pointed out that the basin is inherently prone to landslides, flash floods, glacial lake outburst floods, avalanches, and cloud bursts . The biodiversity of the upper Ganga basin hosts critical riparian and aquatic biodiversity that needs protection .
Reversal of expert recommendations
The decision marks a significant departure from the recommendations of the Expert Body-II (constituted in 2015 and headed by BP Das), which had suggested that 28 projects could be allowed in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi basins .
The Ministry of Jal Shakti reasoned that the EB-II report “completely ignored the cumulative impact of hydropower projects,” adding that if all 28 projects were implemented, the river’s free flow would be “greatly impacted” .
The government noted that the report fails to capture the cumulative impact of anthropogenic pressures other than hydropower development, measuring impacts per megawatt rather than assessing the full extent of forest and river damage .
Background of the case
The Supreme Court has been examining the question of allowing new hydroelectric projects in the upper reaches of the Ganga since 2013, when it took up a suo motu case following the Kedarnath floods that killed over 5,000 people .
Initially, the court put a moratorium on granting clearances for any new projects and asked the environment ministry to form a committee to study the impact .
In January 2026, the Supreme Court had granted three months to the Centre to take a final decision on this issue . The decision announced on Wednesday comes well within that timeline.
The government’s decision also reverses the stand of a late 2024 committee chaired by Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan, which had narrowed down to allowing only five hydroelectric projects .
