Determining the major green provisions in view of the national interest, an environmental panel has given “in-professionals” approved by an Environment Ministry panel to convert more than 847 hectares of forest and ‘Jungle-Jhar’ land over 847 hectares for the construction of 1,856mw sowkot hydroelectric project in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir. The final approval will be subject to the grant of environmental withdrawal by J&K Govt, but immediate steps indicate the intention of exploiting the capacity of the Chenab River after suspension of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan.
