CCI may take up 3 hydro power projects at next meeting

Three hydel projects -- Tawang, Tato and Teesta have been awaiting environmental clearances for a very long time

Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) at its next meeting may take up three hydro power projects that have been held up on account of environmental and forest clearances.

The three hydel projects -- Tawang (800 MW) and Tato (700 MW) and Teesta (520 MW) -- have been awaiting environmental clearances for a very long time.

"These projects in Arunachal Pradesh (Tawang and Tato) and (Teesta) Sikkim have been sent to CCI from the Power Ministry for clearance," said a source.

He said the CCI may take up the proposals at its next meeting but did not specify a date for that.

Teesta Stage-IV Hydroelectric Project is a run of the river scheme proposed along river Teesta. The project was awarded to NHPC in 2009. At that time the estimated project cost was Rs 3,594.74 crore.

The project, which is likely to supply electricity to Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand, was expected to be commissioned in 2012.

The Tawang Hydroelectric Project is proposed on Tawangchu river. The estimated project cost at the time of award was Rs 6,112.30 crore.

The 700 MW Tata hydro power project in Arunchal Pradesh is being set up by Tato Hydro Power Private Ltd, a subsidiary of Reliance Power.

CCI was constituted on January 2, 2013. The main function of the panel is to identify projects in the infrastructure sector worth over Rs 1,000 crore that have been due to regulatory or environmental bottlenecks.