Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 21: On the one hand the State Government is exerting lot of pressure on Central Government to return the power projects being run by NHPC in J&K, while on the other various power projects falling under State Government’s control having a generating capacity of over 100 MWs of electricity are totally defunct.
According to sources the one unit of Upper Sindh Hydel Project Stage IInd Kangan is totally defunct for over last three years due to the breach in a portion of Wangat Link canal.
The project which comprises of three units has a capacity of generating 105 MWs of power with 35 MW each unit but it is presently generating less than 60 MWs of power as one of its unit’s is totally defunct for last over three years after the breach in canal from Wangat side.
The Chief Engineer Civil Investigation Generation Kashmir Mohammed Masood Hamid when contacted said the restoration work is in progress on the project and it will be completed by September this year. He said the work was delayed due to geological reasons and floods in last year. Due to weak geology a Committee was framed to redesign the canal portion which had breached and this caused the initial delay.
The sad story of power projects under the control of State Government does not end here but another power project Upper Sindh Stage First which has a generating capacity of 22 MWs has also become defunct for over one month after the land slide at various places in the canal. The Project is looked after by Generation Wing of Power Development Corporation (PDC) and instead of 22MWs it generates only 10 to 12 MWs of power on routine basis.
Sources said the Project is totally defunct for last over one month. However, the Executive Engineer Generation Division Sumbal, Bashir Ahmed Bakal said that Project will be made functional within days as the slide was removed and canal has been restored.
Not only this, the State Government has failed to start the work on much talked about 93 MW New Ganderbal Power Project. Proposed over a decade back the project is yet in tendering stage.
The estimated cost of the project is over 900 crore but the work on its construction has not been taken up in hand till date. When contacted Chief Engineer, New Ganderbal Fida Farooqi said that the delay was caused due to delay in Government formation in the State.
He said the project has received the technical and economic clearance and tenders have been opened. The project will have a 9.5 km long tunnel from the Headworks of Old Ganderbal at Preng and the project will be completed in four years.
The state of affairs of maximum power projects being run by State Government is worst, sources said, adding that nine MW Sewa Hydel project in Basholi tehsil of Kathua district in Jammu region is defunct for over last one year after the breach in canal due to Ravi floods while the 32 MW Chenanai Project is also defunct since September last year and it only generated 1.5 MW of power.
When contacted the Chief Engineer Civil, Prem Nath Prem said that Sewa Hydel Power Project became defunct last year after the damage in water conductor due to floods in river Ravi. He said the project is in tendering process and it will be completed within two weeks after that the restoration work of the canal will be taken up in hand.
He said the Chenani Hydel project also developed a snag due to floods in September last year and only its third unit generates 1.5 MWs of power when the total project has a capacity of generating 32 MWs of electricity.
He said the tenders have been called and the work will be completed in two months period.
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