Foundation stone laid for SJVNL hydro project in Uttarakhand

Union Power Minister R.K. Singh and Uttrakhand Chief Minister Trivender Singh Rawat on Friday laid the foundation stone of public sector company SJVNL's 60 MW Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project, an official said here.

The project is located at Mori on the Tons river, a major tributary of the Yamuna on the Ganga basin, in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd's (SJVNL) Chairman and Managing Director Nand Lal Sharma told IANS that the project has 30.5 m high dam structure with 4.3 km long headrace tunnel having diameter of 5.6 m.

The underground powerhouse will consist of two vertical francis type turbines of 30 MW each.

SJVNL has commissioned two mega hydro projects namely 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station and 412 MW Rampur Hydro Power Station on the Satluj basin, both located in Himachal Pradesh.

Sharma said the project would be commissioned in record period of 48 months.

He said the Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project is designed as a standalone run of the river project. One of the major features of the project is that there is no displacement of population from the project site.

After commissioning of the project, 12 per cent free electricity will be supplied to Uttarakhand as royalty.

In addition to this, each project-affected family will be provided with an amount equivalent to cost of 100 units of electricity per month for 10 years.

The project has the capacity to generate 265.5 million units of electricity every year and its estimated cost, at October 2016 price level, is Rs 648.33 crores.

SJVNL is a joint venture of the central and Himachal Pradesh governments and has more than 100,000 retail shareholders.