"I am totally committed to all hydro projects and am not going to allow any force to work against the national interest. I will take on them frontally because I have nothing to lose," he told ZEE TV network in an interview telecast on Friday night.

Referring to "forces" working against hydro projects, Kumaramangalam said "there is definitely a lobby working against it... It is in the form of NGOs. It works in the form of international multilateral agencies," according to a transcript of the interview made available by the network.

He alleged there was not one lobby but "multiple lobbies because hydro power is actually a conventional power source, but it is based on a fuel for which you don'T have to pay, that's water and gravity".

When asked whether an "oil lobby" wasworking against hydro projects, the minister said "obviously, anybody who supplies fuel will naturally be the person who will be interested to see that it does not become too much."

Kumaramangalam alleged such forces were trying to make hydel projects non-viable as it was a "cheaper and reliable power" compared to thermal energy and said the people working against hydro energy "had obvious interests in mind". Hitting hard at anti-dam activists like Sunderlal Bahuguna and Medha Patkar, he alleged "such people enjoy international goodwill because they talk the language which many of the lobbies want them to talk," and added that they did not represent national cause.

He questioned the claim of multilateral organisations of understanding people's displacement and environment better, saying "how can they... I am worried about my country's environment if I am not worried about their displacement then who will worry?"

Without naming anybody, the minister further said that such people had gained strength as"there is this inability to call a spade a spade in politics. There is this fear of what will be the fallout". Kumaramangalam said he would start investigating into "sourcing of funding for all this".

Referring to 2400 mw Tehri Dam project, the minister said he was open to look into the "dangers" of the project "but I am satisfied that at present there is nothing".

He said both the state and centre were committed to hydro projects and would give all legal and Financial help. When asked to comment on smaller dams, the minister said he was not against small units, but in the national interest "ultimately bottomline is the cost of power".