Work on hydel plant to begin in Oct.

By S. K. Ramoo

BANGALORE, MAY 24. One of South- east Asia's biggest hydro- electric power generation plants, part of the Upper Krishna Project (UKP), with a generation capacity of 1,107 MW, which was languishing since 1992 following the signing of an MoU, will take off in October this year.

The Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, told this Correspondent that representatives of M/s. Chamundi Power Corporation Ltd., which will be executing the project in the joint sector, assured him on Wednesday that work will begin in October after the end of the monsoon. The promoters are hopeful of obtaining all clearances from the Central and State governments and their agencies by that time. Mr. Krishna said that all five turbines of the first stage of the project will be operational within 48 months of the commencement of the work. The first turbine will be ready within 33 months.

The Chief Minister said that an Inter-department Coordination Cell will shortly be constituted to co-ordinate matters with the Central and State Governments and their agencies. Mr. Krishna said he will personally monitor the progress of work as it is vital to the State, which is currently facing a large gap between the availability of power and actual demand.

M/s. Chamundi Power Corporation Ltd. has formed a consortium for the execution of this ambitious project. The members of the consortium are M/s. Asia Power Company Ltd., U.S., M/s. Asia Power Developments Ltd., New Zealand, M/s. Duncan Industries Ltd., Calcutta, and M/s. G.E. Hydro of the U.K.

During the first stage, it is proposed to generate 297 MW of power from the Alamatti Dam. The second stage - the Narayanapur cascading power generation units - will generate 810 to 840 MW. The energy generation, if the Alamatti Dam had been permitted to be raised to a height of 524.256 metres would have been 2,800 million units a day. Following the Supreme Court judgment fixing the height of the dam at 519.6 metres, the generation will be 2,056 million units a day.

Mr. Paddy Marra, Chairman of Asia Power Developments Ltd., New Zealand, who met the Chief Minister on Wednesday, said that the consortium is hopeful of getting all clearances, including that of the Central Water Commission and environmental sanctions, with the help of the Karnataka Government.

The Chief Minister has involved the heads of the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd., Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd., Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd., and other departments for the speedy execution of the project. Mr. Krishna has instructed them to help the promoters in procuring clearances from both the Central and State Governments. The promoters have assured the Chief Minister that a revised detailed project report will be submitted to the Government soon.

It will be a multi-purpose project, involving irrigation, power generation and flood control. KPCL is likely to be an equity partner. According to Mr. Krishna, about 2,000 MW of additional power will be added to the State grid in about a year's time.

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