Dehradun, May 26 -- The Forest Advisory Committee on Monday approved the Sirkari Bhyol Rupasiyabagh Hydroelectric Project on the Gauriganga River in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district.

Officials said the proposal to divert 29.997 hectares of forest land for the project was cleared during a meeting held at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami hailed the approval of the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL)'s project as a major achievement for the state.

The project has been designed with environmental sensitivity in mind. With around one kilometre of tunnel and most of the infrastructure planned underground, the impact on forest land is expected to be minimal.

Officials noted that the project...