 "Light at the end of the tunnel for Kedarnath")
At a time when the hydropower sector is facing legal, environmental and religious hurdles in Uttarakhand, a mini hydel project has done wonders at the battered Kedarnath shrine.
After remaining in the dark for over two months, the lights are back to illuminate the majestic shrine, thanks to the 100 Kw mini hydel project, just 500 metres away from the Lord Shiva temple, which restarted producing electricity, following the completion of repair works.
And when the Kedarnath temple, perched at a height of 3,583 metre in the Garhwal hills, will be reopened on September 11, priests will have no problem in performing puja at the sanctum sanctorum of the majestic temple under the dazzling lights.
It was constructed in 1995, but had stopped producing power after its feeder channel was damaged in the June 16-17 deluge that had devastated large areas, killing thousands of people in the hill state. This project used to feed electricity to the temple shrine only.
After connecting the reservoir with the main Mandakini river with the help of a 150-metre penstock pipe, the hydel project restarted producing electricity on August 15, following a teamwork of the Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Develo-pment Agency (UREDA) under the guidance of its Chief Project Office A K Tyagi.
“We began repair work on July 26, when we first landed at Kedarnath from a helicopter. The repair work continued till August 14. And when the country was celebrating Independence Day, the project restarted producing electricity,” said Tyagi.
Tyagi had taken two welders and few technicians to Kedarnath for the necessary repair works. For operating the welding machines, H C Semwal, who used to operate the hydel project, made the things much easier, when he found a diesel generator lying in a damaged shop.
“The welding and other minor works were completed with the help of this diesel generator,” said Tyagi, who used to sleep in the power house of the hydel project, which was fortunately not damaged in the flash floods. “The main power house was intact and the only big repair work was to connect the reservoir with the river,” said Tyagi. Semwal is still stationed at Kedarnath to operate the hydel project.
The hydel project is now not only supplying power to the shrine, but also lighting various camps of the police force and other workers engaged in the reconstruction and excavation works at Kedarnath.
Though the temple authorities have not yet decided whether the temple would be illuminated on September 11, the shrine will have enough lights that are required for the puja and other works.
After remaining in the dark for over two months, the lights are back to illuminate the majestic shrine, thanks to the 100 Kw mini hydel project, just 500 metres away from the Lord Shiva temple, which restarted producing electricity, following the completion of repair works.
And when the Kedarnath temple, perched at a height of 3,583 metre in the Garhwal hills, will be reopened on September 11, priests will have no problem in performing puja at the sanctum sanctorum of the majestic temple under the dazzling lights.
It was constructed in 1995, but had stopped producing power after its feeder channel was damaged in the June 16-17 deluge that had devastated large areas, killing thousands of people in the hill state. This project used to feed electricity to the temple shrine only.
After connecting the reservoir with the main Mandakini river with the help of a 150-metre penstock pipe, the hydel project restarted producing electricity on August 15, following a teamwork of the Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Develo-pment Agency (UREDA) under the guidance of its Chief Project Office A K Tyagi.
“We began repair work on July 26, when we first landed at Kedarnath from a helicopter. The repair work continued till August 14. And when the country was celebrating Independence Day, the project restarted producing electricity,” said Tyagi.
Tyagi had taken two welders and few technicians to Kedarnath for the necessary repair works. For operating the welding machines, H C Semwal, who used to operate the hydel project, made the things much easier, when he found a diesel generator lying in a damaged shop.
“The welding and other minor works were completed with the help of this diesel generator,” said Tyagi, who used to sleep in the power house of the hydel project, which was fortunately not damaged in the flash floods. “The main power house was intact and the only big repair work was to connect the reservoir with the river,” said Tyagi. Semwal is still stationed at Kedarnath to operate the hydel project.
The hydel project is now not only supplying power to the shrine, but also lighting various camps of the police force and other workers engaged in the reconstruction and excavation works at Kedarnath.
Though the temple authorities have not yet decided whether the temple would be illuminated on September 11, the shrine will have enough lights that are required for the puja and other works.