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| In all, generation projects adding up to 1070 mega watt have been set up in the region, while projects totalling a capacity of 379 mega watt are under construction at present. |
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| Environment and forest clearance problems, rehabilitation hurdles, inter-state issues like sharing of power from a common river, law and order issues, land acquisition problems, location of hydro sites in remote and inhospitable areas were the predominant factors responsible for the underdevelopment of the northeast's hydro electric potential, government officials said. |
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| While the government is trying to promote hydel generation in a big way during the Tenth and Eleventh Plan periods, the problems specific to the northeast would need to be tackled separately, a power ministry official said. |
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| This would include building enough transmission capacity to transmit power from the northeastern states to the power deficit regions of the country, especially northern and western states, the official said. |
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| The total installed capacity of hydro power in the country is around 27,000 mega watt. |
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| The Centre has identified 17 major hydro projects for implementation in the northeastern with a total capacity of 20,845 mega watt. |
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| The government has proposed to add 14,393 mega watt of hydro power in the Tenth Plan period and 23,000 mega watt in the Eleventh Plan period. |
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| In addition, the Centre has also announced a 50,000 mega watt hydro Eelectric initiative in last May under which the preliminary feasibility report of 162 hydel schemes spread across the country, with an estimated installed capacity of about 50,000 mega watt, is to be prepared by different agencies in the Central and states. |
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| These studies would be completed by September 2004 after which further steps for project implementation would be taken up in a phased manner, officials said. |
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| The renewed focus on developing the much neglected sector is also visible in the government's allocations for the sector. The Central public sector plan outlay for hydro power development has also been enhanced from Rs 12,306 crore during the Ninth Plan to Rs 25,839 crore during the Tenth Plan. |
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| Budgetary support for the sector has also been raised from Rs 9,284 crore during the Ninth Plan to Rs 17,511 crore during the current plan period. |
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