Himachal gets nod to set up dam

Shimla: The central government has allowed Himachal Pradesh to begin building a multi-billion rupee hydroelectric project that will provide drinking water to Delhi, an official here said on Saturday.

"The Environment Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests has allowed the state government to start the dam construction," Tarun Kapoor, director of the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd, said.

The Rs27 billion (Dh2,060.69 million) Renuka dam, to be built on a tributary of the Yamuna in Sirmaur district, will not only quench the thirst of the people in the national capital by providing 23 cubic metres of water per second but also generate 40 MW of electricity for the hill state. "The construction of dam is likely to be completed within six years," Kapoor said.