The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is preparing to take over the State owned 9 MW Sewa-III hydropower project in Jammu following an “offer” made by the previous Peoples Democratic Party-Bhartiya Janta Party government last month.
The revelation has come to fore at a time when the PDP has set return of power projects from the Corporation to J&K as one of the conditions for re-stitching alliance with the BJP that heads the Union Government.
The proposal to allow NHPC to “run” Sewa project in Kathua district, which is presently lying defunct, had come up for “discussion” during the visit of former Power Minister and senior BJP leader, DrNirmal Singh and Commissioner Secretary Power, Dheeraj Gupta to the project site on January 4, days before J&K came under Governor’s rule following the demise of then CM Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.
A communication from NHPC Executive Director (Jammu), S Kalgoankar to Managing Director, JKPDC, on February 8 mentions that the matter (offer) was discussed with the Corporation’s higher authorities at its Faridabad-based headquarters.
“In this regard it is informed that a team from Corporate Office will visit Sewa-III power station along with concerned officials from PDC for the said purpose,” reads the letter (No: NH/Sewa-II/HOP/T-84/2016/261).
Referring to the January visit of the Power Minister and the Commissioner/Secretary to Sewa, the communication reads: “…Secretary Power Government of J&K (in presence of Nirmal Singh) desired that NHPC should put up a proposal for revival of Sewa-III power project so that the project can be run by NHPC on the basis of similar formula as adopted at Baglihar power station.”
In 2009, J&K Government had handed over the PDC-owned 450-MW Baglihar-I hydropower project to the NHPC for maintenance and operation for two years, a move that had evoked strong criticism from PDC arguing that its engineers were capable enough to run the project.
“In order to facilitate the (NHPC) team, it is requested that details pertaining to various civil hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical components, hydrological series along with the damage reports and proposal for rehabilitation, if any prepared by JKPDC may please be provided to (authorities at) Sewa-II (owned by the NHPC),” reads the communication.
The Government’s “proposal” is contrary to the commitment that was made by both, PDP and BJP, in the Agenda of Alliance, to work for return of power projects from the Corporation to the power-starved state. In fact, the PDP has openly voiced concerns about New Delhi’s “U-turn” on supporting return of two power projects from NHPC to J&K.
The 9-MW Sewa hydropower project, set up on Ravi River in Jammu close to Himachal Pradesh border, was commissioned for hydropower generation in 2002, said a PDC official. The project with three units of 3-MWs each however, became defunct in 2013 after a breach in its canal due to floods in Ravi.
The official said though the issue of restoration of the project had come up for discussion on number of occasions, there was “no seriousness” shown by the authorities to get Sewa back on track.
“The PDC ran it successfully for more than 10 years before it got damaged in the flood. It is now up to the Government to take call on its restoration,” the official said.
Another PDC official said handing over the project to NHPC would send a “bad message” about the PDC, which has over the years worked hard to make its name in energy generation sector.
The Sewa-III is located downstream the NHPC owned 120-MW Sewa-II on Ravi which was commissioned by the Corporation in 2010.
Executive Director NHPC, S Kalgoankar confirmed that he has written to PDC in connection with Sewa project on February 8 saying that former Power Minister (Nirmal Singh) had asked the Corporation to “explore possibilities for its revival”. “We have called an expert team from Delhi and I have written to the MD (of PDC) to provide the data so that we can examine it. We are waiting for their response,” said Kalgoankar.
Asked for his comments about the reference made by him in the letter to the “proposal” by State Government that the NHPC should run the project, Kalgoankar evaded direct response: “Everything is at a very preliminary stage. Besides I will have to check what I have written in the letter.”
Commissioner/Secretary Power Development Department Dheeraj Gupta asserted they had only asked the NHPC to provide estimates for restoration of the project that would allow the Government to take call on hiring the Corporation as Contractor for restoration of the project.
He claimed there was “no discussion” with the NHPC on handing over the project to it for O&M. “There was no discussion…(But) if this project has to be given to them (NHPC) on O&M basis, it can be given,” he said.
The NHPC is presently generating 2009 MW energy from seven power projects owned by the Corporation in J&K, a little less than half of the energy it generates across other six states where it has power projects.
In June 2000, the State Government handed over seven power projects to the Corporation, one of them being Sewa-II, after New Delhi had declined to give counter-guarantee to foreign companies who had shown interest in investing in the hydropower sector in J&K having potential of around 20000 MW.
In contrast to NHPC, the State generates a little over 750 MW of hydro energy from different projects owned by the PDC against the total demand of over 2600 MW.
