Uttarakhand's SONG Dam to be built on PPP model

The Uttarakhand irrigation department has appointed IL&FS as a new transactional advisor (TA) for the multi-purpose hydel project of the river SONG in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand with a view to construct it on public-private partnership (PPP) model.

“The letter of award to IL&FS has been issued for being appointed as transactional advisor on the SONG dam,” a top official of the irrigation department said. The company would assess the viability of building the dam on PPP or build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, the official added.

The project is being proposed at Sondhana village near Maldevata area with an investment of Rs 500-600 crore by the state irrigation department.

The government is going ahead with the construction of the dam, which is facing opposition from a group of Congress MLAs led by Mussoorie legislator Jot Singh Gunsola.

Gunsola had launched a campaign claiming that it would adversely affect vast agriculture lands in the district that are being irrigated by the water of the river SONG as the dam does not have any irrigation facility.

“We want the government to just let us know whether the construction of the SONG dam will not affect the vast agriculture area between Maldevata and Doiwala areas in Dehradun,” said Gunsola.

The irrigation department, which has prepared s detailed project report, claimed that Congress MLAs are ignoring the increasing demand for power and drinking water in the state.

“This project is very important as far as drinking water and power is concerned,” said irrigation minister Matbar Singh Kandari.

Significantly, a series of hydel projects like the NTPC’s (National Thermal Power Corporation) 600-megawatt (Mw) Loharinag Pala was scrapped in the state, last year, on religious and environmental grounds.

The height of the proposed SONG dam is 148.25 metres, which would have the potential to supply water to the entire population of Dehradun for an estimated period of 50 years and produce 6 Mw of power. The hallmark of the project is that it will be able to provide water to the state-run Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, the nodal agency for drinking water supply, through gravitational route. “For pumping out underground water, it requires large amount of funds,” said Kandari.

Among the other activities, the department has also proposed tourist and fishery activities in the project, where a four-km long reservoir has also been proposed.

The irrigation department further claimed that forest and environmental clearances have already been accorded to the project.