Buoyed by the allotment of two key hydel projects, the Uttarakhand irrigation department has decided to set up a corporation to develop power plants in the hill state.
The department has already submitted a proposal to the state government in this regard that would be put before the Cabinet for final approval.
“We are hopeful that in the next Cabinet meeting our proposal would be approved,” said Amir Ul Hassan, chief engineer (yamun circle) of the department. Through this new proposal, the irrigation department is hopeful of bagging more contracts in the near future to develop hydel projects in the state having huge potential of hydroelectricity.
According to an official report, the state has 20,000-30,000 Mw of hydropower potential whereas only 3,000 Mw has been tapped till date.
Last year, the government allotted Arakot Tyuni (81 Mw) and Tiuni Plasu (72 Mw) to the irrigation department. After alleged irregularities surfaced in the development of 304-Mw Maneri Bhali-II a few years ago, the government had not allotted any project to the department.
But after a long gap, the government had again shown confidence in the department by allotting the two projects, the detailed project report (DPR) of which is being prepared now. The 72-Mw Tiuni Plasu is being developed on the river Tons, a tributary of Yamuna at Tiuni area of the hilly Uttarkashi district.
The run-of-the-river project would have three units of 24 Mw each and generate 273.67 million units (MU) of power at 90 per cent availability.
The head race tunnel of the project would be 4.3 km long.
The 81-Mw Arakot Tiuni would come up at Pabar river, a tributary of Yamuna at Purola area of Uttarkashi district. The project will have three units of 27 Mw each with a 11.08-km long head race tunnel. The project would produce 404 MU of power.
