In an effort to tide over the acute power shortage in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, has ordered commissioning of all the five mini hydel projects and the upper Sindh project, currently under execution, in one year.
Reviewing the status of various mini hydel projects at a meeting of the power development corporation in Srinagar on Thursday, he said the state plans to harness its maximum hydel power potential in the coming years. About 44 MW of additional power would be available to the power-starved state when the mini hydel projects would be completed.
The taking up of the 600 mw Sawalkote project on Chenab basin and a plan to have the second phase of 450 MW of Baghliar project are steps towards this direction, he said. Work on the Rs 3500 crore Baghaliar project is apace and the government is contemplating taking up its second phase with equal generation capacity, he said, adding the Baghliar-II is estimated to cost Rs 1500 crore. The Sawalkote hydel project, is likely to be taken up early next year.
The government is increasing installed capacity of upper Sindh-I, Chenani-I, lower Jhelum and Ganderbal projects by 90 MW with 90 per cent central funding, he said. The 35 MW second phase of upper Sindh hydel project is likely to be commissioned in September this year, he said.
Other projects likely to be completed in a year include 1.05 MW Baderwah, 4.5 MW Pahalgam project and 1.26 MW Sanjak, 0.75 MW Marpochoo and 1.1 MW Haftal projects in Ladakh. Bureau Report