At a time when the hydropower sector has taken a beating in India, power major NTPC is planning to set up the country’s biggest hydel project in Arunchal Pradesh.
Upper Siang hydel project in the northeastern state with a capacity of 9500 Mw is going to be the biggest in India.
“There may be projects like Three Gorges in China which are the world’s biggest, but Upper Siang project is surely going to be India’s biggest hydel project,” said Malvinder S Soin, regional executive director (hydro), NTPC Limited. Before Upper Siang came into picture, the 6000-Mw Pancheshwar dam on the river Kali used to be known as India’s biggest hydel project even as both Indian and Nepalese governments have yet to give it a final shape.
For the Upper Siang project which is being proposed on the Brahmputra, NTPC has projected an estimate of Rs one lakh crore due to its high interest component. “In normal circumstances,” Soin said, “a hydel project costs around Rs 7-8 crore per Mw but in the case of Upper Siang, the project cost should be roughly around Rs 10 crore per Mw due to its high interest component.” The dam is proposed to be built in two stages.
NTPC has already submitted its pre-feasibility report to the Arunachal government. “We are holding talks with the government for bagging this project,” said Soin.
Unlike in Pancheswhar dam, where submergence area covers both India and Nepal, the hallmark of Upper Siang project is that its reservoirs did not touch the boundaries of China.
NTPC, despite losing battle for its 600-Mw Loharinag Pala project in Uttarakhand which was scrapped on religious and environmental grounds, is still bullish on the hydropower in India and claims that states like Arunanchal Pradesh have taken a lead having vast potential of 50000 Mw. In contrary to Arunanchal Pradesh, the power scenario has turned bleak in Uttarakhand, where the successive government did not show much enthusiasm.