3,360 MW projects ready, 3,052 MW in progress, 2,449 MW being planned
Disasters, strikes, court cases delay execution of under-construction projects
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 1: The Union Government today claimed in the Parliament that the administrative approval for the 1,856 Mega Watt (MW) Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project in Jammu and Kashmir is under its active consideration.
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Replying to a starred question of the newly elected BJP MP from Jammu, Sat Sharma, regarding the steps taken to review different power projects in the Union Territory, including the Sawalkote Project, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the project was formally handed over to the NHPC Limited for implementation on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis for 40 years under an MoU signed with the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) on January 3, 2021.
“And the handing-over agreement was executed on December 11, 2021, completing the administrative transfer of responsibility.”
“The project has already secured all mandatory approvals except Stage-II Forest Clearance, which is still pending. The administrative approval of this project is under the active consideration,” the Union Minister informed the Parliament.
Sharing details about the Government’s overall assessment of all the power projects in the UT, Khattar said that a total of 3,360 MW of Hydropower capacities has been commissioned in the region so far.
“An additional 3,052 MW is presently under construction, while 2,449 MW worth of projects are at the planning stage,” he said.
The hydropower projects under construction and those at the planning stage-including the Sawalkote-are reviewed regularly by the Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity Authority, he said, adding that monitoring also takes place through the board of NHPC’s Joint Venture companies with JKSPDC, ensuring institutional coordination.
“The projects are further tracked through eSamikSha, an online mechanism for real-time monitoring and issue resolution,” added the Union Power Minister.
Regarding delays in the execution of the new power projects, the Union Minister said that currently, four major hydroelectric projects with a total capacity of 3,014 MW are under construction in the UT of J&K through Joint Ventures between NHPC Ltd. and JKSPDC Ltd., namely M/s Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL) and M/s Ratle Hydro Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL).
He cited disasters including flooding, strikes by the labours and their unions, tool downs, protests by locals, court cases, restricted blasting near the inhabited areas, disturbances linked to land issues, COVID pandemic impacts, labour issues, and several other factors for delays in the execution of these four projects.
Regarding strategies to overcome these challenges, the Union Power Minister said the Board of these Joint Venture companies include representatives from NHPC and the UT of J&K, which enables close institutional coordination.
“In addition, regular review meetings are held in the Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity Authority to resolve project-specific issues,” he said.
On Government’s proposed measures to ensure local employment and developmental benefits in the project-affected areas, Khattar, said that hydroelectric projects developed by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) such as NHPC ensure local employment, contractor opportunities for Project Affected Families (PAFs), and sustained livelihood generation.
He said CPSEs also undertake activities related to education, healthcare, infrastructure and skill development in projected-affected areas.
Once operational, the projects contribute to the UT’s power availability through free power and the Local Area Development Fund (LADF), he added.
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