210 MW Luhri stage-I hydro power project on Satluj in Himachal gets CCEA nod

On completion it will generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually; Centre will provide a grant of Rs 66.19 crore for enabling infrastructure

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar addresses a press conference on Cabinet decisions, in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Nov 4

The government on Wednesday approved 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project in Himachal Pradesh with an approved investment of Rs 1,810.56 crore.

The project will be implemented by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) on the Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) basis in next five years.

Announcing the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the project was located on river Satluj, which is situated in Shimla and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh and on completion it would generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually.

The minister said the SJVNL had been assigned the project on BOOM basis, as the company had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Himachal Pradesh Government during Rising Himachal, Global Investor Meet in 2019.

“Both the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh will offer active support to the project with the former providing a grant of Rs 66.19 crore for enabling infrastructure,” he said.

“The Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project shall be commissioned within a span of 62 months. The power generated from the project will help in providing grid stability and will improve the power supply position.

“Besides adding valuable renewable energy to the grid, the project would also lead to reduction of 6.1 lakh tons of carbon dioxide from environment annually, thus contributing to improvement in air quality,” said Javadekar.

The construction activities of the project will result in direct and indirect employment to around 2,000 persons and will contribute to overall socio-economic development of the state, the minister said, adding that the state will benefit with free power worth Rs 1,140 crore from the hydro power plant during the project life cycle of 40 years.

He also said that the families which would be affected by the project would be provided with 100 units of free electricity per month for 10 years.