PM Narendra Modi dedicates two Hydro-power projects in Leh and Kargil to Nation

On 12^th August 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated two power projects in Jammu and Kashmir to the nation.

PM Narendra Modi launched following two power projects

45 MW Nimmo-Bazgo hydroelectric power station:

• Thisproject is located in Leh.
• It is a run of the river scheme to harness the potential of Indus River. It has been designed to generate 239 million units of energy.
• The approval for the project was given on August 24, 2006, at an estimated cost of Rs.611 crore. However, on account of escalation, statutory charges and higher cost of award, the project cost was later revised to Rs.985 crore.

44 MW Chutak hydropower station:

• It is located in Kargil.
• This project, is a run of river scheme on river Suru.
• It would generate 216 million units of power.
• The Barrage site of the project is located about 14 km upstream of Kargil near village Sarzhe.

PM Narendra Modi also laid the foundation stone of Leh-Kargil-Srinagar power transmission line at Leh.

This power power transmission line will connect the Ladakh region with Northern Grid and help to and increase power availability in the region.

It will be built at a cost of Rs.1, 788 crore.

He also announced an additional funding of Rs. 8,000 crore for four important road projects.

While addressing people of Leh after dedicating the projects to the nation, PM said these projects would connect Ladakh and J&K with the other parts of the country through energy.

PM made following Statements:

• There was a time when PMs would not visit the state for several years.
• “Energy”, “environment” and “tourism” of Ladakh have such a strength and not just J&K, but the entire nation would benefit from it.
• Energy from here will dispel darkness. Save the environment and help attract tourism.
• My idea of development is to bring about a change in the lives of common people. We have put Leh at the focus of our solar energy initiatives. We have to connect every corner of the country.

What is Run-of-the-river(ROR)? 

Run-of-the-river(ROR) hydroelectricity plant is a type of hydroelectric generation whereby little or no water storage is provided.

Run-of-the-river power plants may either have no storage at all, or a limited amount of storage, in which case the storage reservoir is referred to as pondage.

A plant without pondage has no storage and is, therefore, subject to seasonal river flows and may operate as an intermittent energy source while a plant with pondage can regulate water flow and serve either as a peaking power plant or base load power plant.

The Bureau of Indian Standards describes run-of-the-river hydroelectricity as:

A power station utilizing the run of the river flows for generation of power with sufficient pondage for supplying water for meeting diurnal or weekly fluctuations of demand. 

In such stations, the normal course of the river is not materially altered.

Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is ideal for streams or rivers with a minimum dry weather flow or those regulated by a much larger dam and reservoir upstream. 

A dam, smaller than that used for traditional hydro, is required to ensure that there is enough water to enter the penstock pipes that lead to the lower-elevation turbines.

In this project, most of a river’s flow (up to 95% of mean annual discharge) is diverted through a pipe and/or tunnel leading to electricity-generating turbines, then return the water back to the river downstream.