High silt shuts hydropower plants in Himachal

Shimla, Aug 7 (IANS) Continuing heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday led to abnormal rise in the level of the silt content in the Satluj river, forcing authorities to temporarily shut down the operation of mega hydropower plants, officials said.

The closure of at least three projects disrupted power supply to the northern states, including New Delhi.

"The 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri plant and 412 MW Rampur Hydro Electric Project were closed as the silt content in the river rose more than the permissible limit," an official with Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL) told IANS.

The company operates both the hydro projects.

"They are likely to resume operation on Wednesday," he said.

The company runs the Nathpa Jhakri hydropower project in Kinnaur district, while the Rampur plant is located in Shimla district.

Likewise, 1,000 MW Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Project, also located in Kinnaur district, has been closed, project officials said in Shimla.

The closure of the hydro plants has led to a power crisis in the northern region. The northern power grid came under strain as the states procuring power from the projects were forced to overdraw from the grid.

The projects supply power mainly to Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

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