Three power projects on the cards in MP

The Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (NHDC), a joint venture between the Madhya Pradesh government and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), will soon start three new power projects in the state.

According to NHPC chairman Yogendra Prasad, who is also the NHDC chief, the new projects will come up in Narsinghpur, Hosha-ngabad and Handia.

While the feasibility reports of the two projects had been given to the state government, the feasibility report of the third project would be submitted soon, Prasad said.

The Narsinghpur project is likely to generate 60 Mw of power and the Hoshangabad project 55 Mw. The capacity of the third project is yet to be announced.

Prasad said the 1,000 Mw Indira Sagar project and the 520 Mw Omkareshwar project would be completed by the end of the year. Through the early completion of the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar projects, the NHPC was hoping to save on the project cost, the NHPC chairman said.

He said all the 1,100 families to be affected by these projects would be rehabilitated. "The rehabilitation process will be complete before monsoon," he said.

To resolve the power crisis in the state, the NHPC was planning to connect various grids to form a network, Prasad said.

He said the NHDC could take up the Maheshwar power project as the state government had agreed to extend its guarantee to the project.