Uttarakhand to take over 420-Mw hydel project from NHPC

In a rebuff to the Centre, the Uttarakhand government has decided to take over the multi-purpose 420-Mw Lakhwar-Vyasi hydel project from National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC).

State Power Secretary Prabhat Sarangi has written to the power ministry that the state-run Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (UJVNL) will develop the project, which has been hanging fire for the past two decades. An investment of Rs 3,500 crore to Rs 4,000 crore is proposed for the project.

The move has come as a surprise because the Centre had recently asked Uttarakhand to hand over the project to NHPC.

The state government’s move is in sharp contrast with its earlier stand of handing over the 300-Mw Lakhwar project to NHPC. Both Lakhwar and the 120-Mw Vyasi projects are proposed on the river Yamuna in Lakhwar area of Dehradun district.

UJVNL Chairman Yogendra Prasad said the company has already started the process to get the Lakhwar-Vyasi project transferred to the state-run company. “We are taking all action so that the project can be built in four years,” said Prasad.

The state government had in July allotted the project to UJVNL soon after two other key projects — the 380-Mw Bhaironghati and the 480-Mw Palamaneri project over the Bhagirathi river — were put on hold following protests by environmentalist GD Agrawal.

Coming to the aid of NHPC, Union Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh recently wrote to the state government requesting that both Lakhwar and Vyasi projects be handed over to the PSU, which has already carried out various surveys and prepared a fresh detailed project report.