Why in news? The residents of Pithoragarh district’s Dharchula town, situated on the India-Nepal border and close to the China border, staged a protest over the proposed Bokang-Baling Hydroelectric Project in the Darma Valley.

About Bokang-Baling Hydroelectric Project:

• It is a proposed hydroelectric project on river Dhauliganga in the Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.
• It has a proposed installed capacity of 165 MW.
• The project involves the construction of a concrete gravity dam of 65 m from river bed level and an underground Power House.
• The project is being implemented by THDC India Limited.

Dhauliganga river:

• Origin: It rises in the vicinity of the Niti Passing the border regions between Garhwal region of Uttarakhand and southwestern Tibet.
• It is one of the important tributaries of Alaknanda, the other being the Nandakini, Pindar, Mandakini, and Bhagirathi.
• It meets the Alaknanda River (the major source stream of the Ganges River) at Vishnuprayag in Uttarakhand.
• Length: The length of this river is about 94 km.
• Tapovan, which is famous for its hot springs, is located on the banks of Dhauliganga.

THDC India Limited:

• THDC India Limited (Formerly Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited) is a company jointly owned by the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• It was registered as a Public Limited Company in 1988 under the Companies Act 1956 to operate and maintain the Tehri Hydro Power Complex and other Hydro Projects.
• It is a Mini Ratna Category-I Enterprise.