Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR, June 13: With authorities optimistic to get the design clearance from Central Water Commission (CWC) by end of this month, the work on 93 megawatt New Ganderbal Hydro Electric Power Project will be started within this year.
According to high placed sources, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) has already been approved and the team of CWC engineers headed by its Director had also visited the State on May 29 to inspect the site and the additional changes in the design are to be cleared by this month end so that the work on the Project can be started within this year.
A team of senior officers of the Power Development Corporation (PDC) which is constructing the Project led by Basharat Dar, Managing Director, had already met the Chairman CWC, senior engineers and officers at New Delhi and discussed the Project report with them, sources added.
Sources said over Rs 861 crore project will be completed within four to five years after the commencement of the work. The multi purpose project besides boosting the power generation will also provide irrigation facilities to the Ganderbal area and drinking water supply to Srinagar city, sources added.
Providing irrigation facilities to farmers and drinking water supply to the people of Srinagar city will be the greatest advantage of this Project, sources said, adding it is the first power project in the State which besides generating hydro electricity will also become an alternative for providing drinking water facilities to Srinagar city and Irrigation facilities to farmers in Ganderbal belt.
Sources said the project has been designed to tackle the drinking water problem of the city upto year 2030.
Sources said the Project has already got the environment clearance from Ministry of Forest and the land acquisition process is 50 per cent complete. The negotiations are in final stage with the farmers also whose land comes in the project, sources added.
Sources said the technical qualification tenders were already called and some ancillary works like providing of infrastructural facilities including construction of roads to Project site and office buildings have been started.
The 93 mw project will be of three units with each unit having capacity of generating 31 mws of power, sources added.
The project will have 10.80 kilometre long tunnel from Prang to Ganderbal. While the head works of the Project will be at Prang, 100 metres above the head works of Old Ganderbal Hydro Electric Project, its power house will be constructed at Bihama Ganderbal.
This will be fourth Hydro Electric Power Project in Ganderbal district on river Sinddh after Ganderbal Hydro Electric Project Phase One, Upper Sindh Hydro Electric Project Stage First, Sumbal and Upper Singh Hydro Electric Project Stage Second, Kangan.
Sources said with the construction of this project the power supply will increase in the state and it help in the tiding over the power crisis to some extent also.
Sources said the project has already been delayed due to completion of certain formalities and seeking of environment clearance. And to complete the project in the time frame the authorities don’t like to waste any time more. Hence they have called for tenders of drilling etc.
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