Govt to set up 3 hydro electric projects of 285 MW at Beas

Three hydro electric projects of 285 MW will be established in Himachal Pradesh on the down stream of river Beas, state Irrigation and Public health minister Ravinder Ravi has said.

They are Berry Nichli of 78 MW, Dhoula Sidh of 66 MW and Thana Palon of 141 MW projects, to be laid on area from Padoh Dam in Mandi district to Pong dam at the edge of Kangra district on the boundary of Punjab.

The Berry Nichli is being constructed by the Himachal Power Corporation at a cost of Rs 700 crore, the minister said, adding that the state had a capacity to produce 23,230 MW Hydro electricity.

Himachal Pradesh has plans to generate 1,700 MW hydro electricity by the end of 12th plan. At the moment, it is generating 6676 MW hydro centricity, Ravi said.

The minister said that during the last three years, the state has been producing 308 MW extra electricity and that government has started work on the projects, which can further boost the production to 6,000 MW in coming years.

He said that Himachal Pradesh was fast emerging as the power state of the Country. He said that the long winter spell and the heavy snowfall in Himachal have brightened the prospects of generating power to full capacity duing the summer this year.