Nhpc Nodal Agency For Hydel Projects

The government today said it was working on an action plan for optimal exploitation of the hydel power sector and has decided to accord nodal agency status to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) for developing hydel power projects.

"We are in the process of chalking out an action plan for the hydel sector in the coming four to five months", power minister Suresh Prabhu said at the NHPC officers' association meeting here.

Prabhu also said it has been decided that NHPC would be the nodal agency responsible for exploitation of hydel power in the country.

"Now that the merger of NHPC with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is off, NHPC will be primarily responsible for hydel power projects in the country", he said. The minister also said the government would not set up any more companies for executing hydel projects and NHPC would be responsible for any new projects.

He said the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) had submitted its report on prioritising hydel power projects in the country. The minister of state for power, Jayawanti Mehta, said the government had set NHPC a target of 30,000 mw of capacity by the end of 12th Five Year Plan, during which time the total capacity augmentation of around 1,00,000 mw is targeted. She said a team under special secretary, power, had been entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring work relating to 10th Plan.