India's central government canceled a dam project on a Ganges River tributary, after the leading partner in the ruling coalition intervened because of environmental and religious concerns.

India's central government canceled a dam project on a Ganges River tributary last week, after the leading partner in the ruling coalition intervened because of environmental and religious concerns, the Times of India reports.

A group of ministers led by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee green-lighted the 600 Megawatts Loharinag Pala hydroelectric project since the government had already spent Rs 650 crore (US$139 million) on the dam and committed Rs 2,000 crore (US$429 million) in supply contracts, according to the Economic Times of India.

But leaders of the Congress party, including environment minister Jairam Ramesh, abandoned the agreement because of local and national pressure.

Since it was a run-of-the-river project, the dam on the Bhagirathi River in the northern state of Uttarakhand would not have created a large reservoir, but instead would have dried up a 16-km stretch where the water was diverted through pipes to the generators, the Times of India reports.

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