The 100-odd-kilometre stretch between Gaumukh, near the Gangotri glacier from where the Bhagirathi originates, and Uttarkashi used to present all the different moods of the Ganga, that is, until the run-of-river (ROR) Maneri Bhali Phase I hydroelectric project, with an installed capacity of 90 megawatt (MW), was commissioned in 1984. The river was dammed at Maneri and the flow regime was diverted into an eight-km-long concrete-lined tunnel to feed the hydraulic turbines of the power house located at Tiloth in Uttarkashi. As a result, the river has been running dry on the 14-km stretch between Maneri and Uttarkashi, depriving the villagers living on its banks of the benefit of its natural flow. At Tiloth, the water is released back into the river but it runs ankle-deep most of the time, especially during the lean period. Read the article on Frontline here: CAPTIVE GANGA
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