Centre clearance for four Uttarakhand Power projects soon

Dehradun, November 23
It was not mere a bonhomie when the Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Major-Gen BC Khanduri (retd), went to meet Union Minister for Power Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi and expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Power and the Central Government for revising and raising the allocation of unallocated power of Central Generating Station of the northern region to Uttarakhand during the winter season, according to a press note of the state government issued here today.

This revision and raise in the allocation of power has in totality increased over-the-years accumulated power (given to Uttarakhand) to approximately 100 MW. It is to be noted that keeping in view the requirement of power of northern states with the onset of the winter season, the Centre allocates the unallocated power of Central Generating Station to needy states.

General Khanduri discussed with Shinde four hydroelectric projects that are awaiting “techno-economic clearance” from the Centre. These projects are: Lakhwar (300 MW), Bowala Nandprayag (300MW), Kishau (660MW) and Vyasi (120MW). Of the four projects, the Vyasi project with a capacity of 120 MW has been approved.

Shinde has assured the Chief Minister Khanduri that the Power Ministry and the Ministry of Water Resources are working in tandem and examining the four projects. The clearance will be given to these projects soon. Shinde also assured Khanduri of extending all sorts of assistance in harnessing potential of the Vyasi power project and the other ones in the state. Union Power Minister Shinde suggested that if the state was willing to provide land for setting up a power project free of cost, then his ministry, through the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), could start a coal-based power plant in Uttarakhand. Of the total generated power from this plant, 50 per cent will be granted to Uttarakhand.

Khanduri also drew Shinde’s attention towards the slowdown in the working of Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) in the two gas-based power projects in the state. The company has signed an MoU with Uttaranchal Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) for executing two gas-based power plants in the state. According to an assessment, there is a demand potential of about 5 million standard cubic metres of gas per day in Uttarakhand. Looking at the demand potential in the state, GAIL is currently executing two pipeline projects, namely the 182-km Karanpur-Moradabad-Kashipur-Rudrapur pipeline (Rs 239 crore) and 170-km Saharanpur-Haridwar-Rishikesh-Dehradun pipeline (Rs 255 crore).

These two pipeline projects could carry gas to the consumers in the districts of Kashipur, Rudrapur, Roorkee, Haridwar and Dehradun.

Shinde told Khanduri that since there was a shortage of gas, GAIL is finding it difficult to spearhead the efforts on the two gas power projects in Uttarakhand, according to the state government officials.