Impounding of water in NTPC's Koldam hydel project begins

The much-awaited impounding proess of NTPC's 800-MW Koldam hydro-electric project on river Satluj in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, has been started once again.
The filling up or impounding process of reservoir had earlier been tried three times as well, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
Project Director S C Pandey started the impounding process yesterday by closing the inlet gates of tunnel "Kush" after performing pooja.
NTPC Chairman-cum-Managing Director Anup Rai Chaudhary on December 19th last year had started the impounding process but it failed in two days.
As per the design of the project, river Sutlej has been diverted through twin diversion tunnels 'Lav' and 'Kush' (both about 1,000 metre long) and 163-metre high rock fill dam.

Earlier the river water was diverted through tunnel Kush and in the mid of tunnel Lav, control gates were constructed to control the impounding process.

There had already been a delay in the construction of the project, which was to be commissioned in the year 2009. The foundation of the project was laid by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on June 5, 2000.
The earlier attempts of impounding were unsuccessful as their were certain defects in the gates provided in the middle of tunnel Lav and subsequently leakage was detected in the tunnel.
According to sources, different types of testings were going on inside the tunnel Lav.

NTPC started tunnel repairing by grouting it at various places in order to prevent leakage and concreting in the bed of one km long tunnel.
Parveen Ranjan Bharti, PRO of Kol Dam Project, could not be contacted even after repeated calls so that he may confirm this event officially.
However, a visit to site today morning confirmed that now the water was flowing through tunnel Lav and Kush and the impounding was started.