Wind Energy Project

The first ever Wind Energy Project for Jammu and Kashmir announced nearly six years back has proved till date only an apocryphal entity. Needless to stress upon the fact,  this State badly needs wind  energy projects to cater to ever increasing demand for power besides being conducive for a State like ours which must maintain a balance between  development and the environment. Wind energy is all green and does not cause, not even in the least, any sort of pollution. Wind power is renewable and we cannot run out of it, the source being the nature, originating from the sun. Again, procedural bottlenecks and vital issues associated with the proposed project remaining unresolved have come in its way to see the light of the day. At best, the only development observed seems to be fixing of time lines for start of the work. We are bound to ask the State authorities as to why the intervention of the Union Ministry of Power was not resorted to in resolving the land transfer issue with National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) as the State Government could not succeed in settling the issue with them? That is the moot question; the citizens wish to seek answers for.
It seems increasingly ludicrous that the project activities started with much zeal fizzled out soon as can be seen from the installations of the wind masts at various locations throughout the State by the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) situated at Chennai for assessment of potential in the year 2012 when preliminary work like surveys etc were made. One potential and very promising site was found feasible for development of the project at village Bidda in Reasi district which, as per assessment, carried a potential of 8 Mega Watts to 10 Mega Watts of wind power that could be tapped after using appropriate technology.  An attractive feature of the project which should have made things move faster at the Government level is its inherent low operational costs besides the wind turbines being unimaginably space efficient.
It may be underlined that it was well decided, in the first place, that Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) would develop 6 Mega Watts wind power project on pilot basis under the Wind Demonstration Scheme of Union Government. Not only this, even land measuring 534 kanals and six marlas was identified for the project.  The adage “first venture first loss” started operating in the project thereafter with the result the entire exercise came to a naught. The land identified and “earmarked” for the project was, in fact, leased out to National Hydroelectric Power Corporation as back as the time of the construction of Salal Hydro Power Project in Reasi. Its transfer to Science and Technology Department was cardinal for the execution of the project. Why was such a basic fact about the allotted land not taken into account? Is it that after an initial gala of feigning too much enthusiastic about the venture, consigning it to an eternal indecisiveness and uncertainty was thought to be the solution?  Till date, what steps in chronological order, have been taken to remove the immediate impediment of land row to enable the project stand on firm rails?
We have reliably come to know that half hearted efforts and half baked initiatives were taken by the State Government in approaching the NHPC for transfer of land to Science and Technology Department yielding no fruitful results. Why is an important fact of decision making process known as ‘follow up’ in apparent shambles in the State Government? This is said so, looking to, there being absolutely no follow up worth the name, with the Union Ministry of Power by the State Government. This assumes more significance looking to the reluctance and non inclination on the part of NHPC to transfer the land. Merely changing and fixing timeline for starting the work on the project is reminiscent of resorting to interminable absence of clarity in the matter. Did not the Government right on the floor of the Legislative Assembly during the Budget Session of 2017-18, announced that the work on the Wind Energy Project at  Bidda would begin during the fiscal year 2017-18 at a cost of Rs. 46 crore ? Was it not made clear there and then, that JAKEDA   had made all the arrangements to exploit the available potential from the financial support from the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ? This is tantamount to presenting an untrue picture since the land in question was not in possession of Science and Technology Department.
The adoption of abject non seriousness of the present dispensation towards the first ever Wind Energy Project especially during the last three years is not acceptable. This is because of the fact that despite taking part in number of meetings with the Union Power Ministry, the reluctance in transferring of land by the NHPC was reportedly never taken up with the quantum of seriousness, the matter deserved. The Government is well advised not to resort to heuristic ways in matters of such importance.

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