A pro-dam environmentalist today locked horns with a colleague having divergent views over the controversial issue of hydel projects on the Bhagirathi river in Uttarakashi district of Uttarakhand.

Fearing that construction of such projects would obliterate the river and affect the fragile eco-system of the area, noted environmentalist G D Agrawal today went on an indefinite fast at Haridwar seeking closure of NTPC's 600 MW Loharinag Pala hydel project.

Agarwal had undertaken similar protests in 2008 and 2009, a move that forced the Centre and the state government to suspend three projects - 480 MW Pala Maneri and 381 MW Bhaironghati, besides Loharinag Pala project on the river.

A Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had already scrapped the Pala Maneri and Bhaironghati project but called for revival of Loharinag Pala.

Apprehending that Loharinag Pala will be revived, Agrawal sat on an indefinite fast this morning seeking complete ban on the project.

He is being supported by a host of environmentalists and All India Akhara Parishad, an apex body of sadhus and saints.

In a counter measure, Avdhash Kaushal, a leading social activist and recipient of Padma Shree, also announced to sit on dharna from tomorrow for resumption of all hydel projects on the Bhagirathi river.

"The state requires electricity for development works with the power demand in the state growing by 15 per cent every year," Kaushal said, adding that if the demand is not met he along with hundreds of women activists would sit on dharna and take out a rally.

Significantly, the fresh demand for the closure as well as resumption of all the projects came when a decision on the three key projects on the Bhagirathi is expected to be taken by the Ganga River Basin Authority, which was set up under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Centre has already made it clear that it would not sanction any new project on the Bhagirathi river.

While, NTPC has already invested Rs 650 crore in its Loharinag Pala project, which is being built with an investment of Rs 3,000 crore, the state-run Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited had also done considerable work on the remaining two projects having invested Rs 100 crore.