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Prime Minister to dedicate Baglihar hydro power project today
| Likely to become operational by end next month |
Project has three turbines of 150 MW each
Pakistan team gives clean chit in its report
MAMMOTH PROJECT: A view of the Baglihar hydro-electric power project on the river Chenab near Chanderkote in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will dedicate to the nation on Friday the first phase of the 450-MW Baglihar power project in the Kashmir Valley, built over the Chenab river.
The project has faced prolonged delays since it was started in 1999, including objections from Pakistan.
The Pakistan Government had given up “its objections” to the project in September and the Indian Government had put into action the process to synchronise the first 150 MW unit of the project.
“It has been the endeavour of the Prime Minister that the developmental activity in Jammu and Kashmir gets a big boost.
“This synchronisation of the project is part of that initiative and give people of the State to access to quality power in the coming winter months,” Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh said before leaving for Jammu. Mr. Jairam said test trials of three turbines of the project had commenced last month and the entire project was likely to become operational by the end of November. The project has three turbines of 150 MW each. On July 31, a three-member team from Pakistan led by Central Water Commission (Indus Water Treaty) Commissioner Syed Jamait Ali Shah had visited the project and had given a clean chit to the project in its report after making complete inspections.
A sum of Rs. 4,125.92 crore had been spent on the first state-owned power project in Jammu and Kashmir being constructed by J. P. Industries, Mr. Jairam said.
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