CCEA revises Tuirial Hydro project cost

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has revised the project cost of the 60 MW Tuirial Hydro Electric Project (THEP) to Rs914 crore due to delay in resumption of work.

The project site is located in Mizoram and is being developed by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (Neepco).  

The Tuirial hydroelectric project was initially taken up as a central sector scheme by Neepco with an estimated investment cost of Rs369 crore in July 1998.

However, the project work came to a halt since June 2004 on account of agitation launched by Tuirial Crop Compensation Claimant Association (TCCCA) claiming payment of crop compensation for the standing crops in the riverine reserve forest.  

Company sources from Neepco said that till June 2004, prior to stoppage of work, 30 per cent of the project work and 95 per cent of design and engineering works were completed. 

The project is scheduled to be commissioned within 3 years from the date of resumption, the source added. An official release said that the CCEA has now approved conversion of government of India loan of Rs15.30 crore into equity and waiver of accumulated interest and penal interest of Rs16.13 crore on government of India loan.

The government of Mizoram has already signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the purchase of power from this project at Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) rates. The project is expected to help the state of Mizoram and the North Eastern Region to mitigate the power shortage to some extent.  

Tuirial project is envisaged as a medium head storage scheme with an installed capacity of 60 Mw (2 x 30 Mw).