No time-frame fixed for start of two out of three allotted projects
Turnaround in J&K power sector still a distant dream
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 20: The much-hyped decision of the State Government to harness hydroelectric power potential through Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPPL) has failed to yield the desirable results despite lapse of nearly eight years as work on two of the three identified projects is yet to be started.
Due to this, nobody knows when there will be turnaround in the power sector of Jammu and Kashmir, which otherwise is still grappling with shortage of electricity during winter in Kashmir valley and summer in Jammu region.
When there was National Conference-Congress Government in the State, a decision was taken to float a company exclusively for execution of three major hydroelectric projects namely 1000 Mega Watt (MW) Pakal Dul, 624 MW Kiru and 540 MW Kwar, all in Kishtwar district of Jammu region.
Accordingly, Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Limited (CVPPPL) was incorporated on June 13, 2011 as a Joint Venture Company of NHPC Limited, Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation and Power Trading Corporation (PTC) of India Limited for execution of these three projects with aggregate capacity of 2164 Mega Watt at Chenab River Basin and equity participation of 49%, 49% and 2% of NHPC, JKSPDC and PTC respectively.
At that time and thereafter on numerous occasions it was stated with much hype that decision of assigning task of executing three major power projects to this company would help in harnessing the available power potential in a time bound manner and subsequently help in bringing turnaround in the State’s power sector.
However, the decision has failed to yield the desirable results till date as work on only Pakal Dul project could be started during the past seven and half years and no time-frame has so far been fixed for start of work on Kiru and Kwar projects, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
As per the NHPC, which has 49% equity in the Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited, TEA has been obtained for Kiru project and some clearances are awaited for the Kwar project. However, the CVPPPL states that investment approval is awaited from the Government of India.
“A minimum of five years would be required for completion of these projects from the date of start of work on ground, which means that there are remote chances of coming up of these projects before 2023-24 that too if the executing agencies stick to timelines for different components of the projects, which otherwise is not possible keeping in view the fact that both the sites are located in highly mountainous and difficult terrain”, sources said, adding “all this indicates that there would not be any turnaround in the power sector, which was being expected from these projects at least for another five-six years”.
They informed that at present only work on approach road to the sites of these two projects is going on. “There should not have been much delay in obtaining mandatory clearances for these two projects especially when harnessing available power potential up to large extent was flagged as priority by the State as well as Union Governments”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Kiru and Kwar are run of the river type projects planned across River Chenab in Kishtwar district. Kiru will come up at 25 kilometre upstream of Dulhasti Hydroelectric Project while as Kwar will come up near village Padyarna. The estimated cost of Kwar project is Rs 4273 crore as per the November 2008 price level while as the cost of Kiru project is estimated to be Rs 3233 crore.
As far as Pakal Dul project is concerned, the foundation stone of which was laid by the Prime Minister on May 19, 2018, main access tunnel of power house having length of 160 meter and 3 meter diameter has been completed.
“The work on the power house and dam is in progress and the construction work of approach roads to diversion tunnel and HRT besides portal works have already been taken up”, the CVPPPL said, adding “Pakal Dul is the biggest hydroelectric project under construction in J&K and is also the first storage scheme in the State”.
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