Power sector weak link in development of State

Sunil kumar | Dehradun

Power sector appears a weak link in the path of development in Uttarakhand. The State, which has earned fame as energy surplus State, is craving for energy now and situation will aggravate further in future.

With the Centre’s decision to stop construction of three major hydel projects in the Bhagirathi river, the State Government finds it tough to improve the power scenario, although demand of energy, especially from industry, has grown manifold since 2005. The demand for power is growing by 15 per cent every year, with the State resorting to heavy power cuts impacting industries badly.

Top State Government officials admitted that hydropower sector would not have shown desired results even if the three projects - including NTPC projects of 480 MW Pala Maneri and 381 MW Bhaironghati - which were stopped on environmental grounds, are taken into account. Since 2000, the State-run Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) could commission only one big hydel project – the 304 MW Maneribhali-II - that too with the help of the irrigation department. On the flip side, UJVNL had commissioned a couple of small hydel projects with a capacity of only 20 MW.

The State was supposed to get 25 per cent free power from Lohari Nagapala, but now the Union Government has decided to scrap this project. Although the State Government has welcomed this decision but under pressure from the burgeoning power demand they have demanded 2000 MW free power from Centre. If the Centre failed to do so then the State would not be able to achieve its target.

On the other hand, the officials also admitted that the State would not be able to see any new big government power project coming up in the next four to five years simply because environmental and other clearances would take time.

However, there are two-three hydel projects which are likely to be commissioned by 2012 in the private sector. But the State would get only 12 per cent free power from these projects.

A senior official said that the State would be able to commission around 10 hydel projects with a capacity of 100 MW in the next 2-3 years. These are the projects being aided by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and NABARD and constructed by UJVNL.

It would be pertinent to mention here that the State has become victim of politics because recently it had awarded 53 self identified power projects but had to cancel them due to pressure from all quarters, including a PIL filed in the Nainital High Court.

NTPC has so far invested about ` 600 crore on the 600 MW Lohari Nagapala project and placed an order worth `2,000 crore for equipment. Work on the Loharinag-Pala dam had commenced in 2005, but it was suspended last year by the Environment Ministry following concerns raised by environmentalists and locals that the free flow character of Bhagirathi has almost come to a halt.