NHPC to resume construction on Lower Subansiri project

Guwahati, Aug 23 (IANS) State-owned NHPC is likely to resume construction work on the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project in Arunachal Pradesh after the rainy season is over.

This became evident after the Assam government and NHPC Limited on Friday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for implementation of the project.

Niraj Verma, Principal Secretary (Power) signed the MoA on behalf of the state government while Balraj Joshi, CMD, NHPC signed it on behalf of NHPC.

The construction work on the mega power project had been stalled since 2011 in the wake of a continued agitation by several organizations in Assam. The organizations have been opposing construction of the dam on the grounds that Assam is located in seismic zone V and in terms of a disaster it might wreak havoc on downstream states.

After a number of committees appraised the project and suggested remedial measures, all the technical apprehensions have been assuaged and legal hurdles cleared.

Subansiri Lower is the largest hydro project of the country, presently under construction with an installed capacity of 2,000 MW and annual generation of 7,421.59 MU and is located on the border of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The NHPC claims that being a part of the cascade development conceived by Brahmaputra Board, the project would also afford relief from floods by moderating flow in Subansiri river. NHPC has undertaken protection works along both the banks of Subansiri river in the downstream area for containing flood water and checking soil erosion.