Bharat SainiLast Updated on July 29, 2018 by Bharat Saini
Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project on the Kishanganga River in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 19, 2018. Project proposed to be completed at a cost of ₹5882 crore is the first run of the river scheme that involves inter-basin transfer of water from the Kishanganga River, a tributary of the Jhelum, in the Gurez valley to Bonar Nallah in Bandipora through a 23.65 km long head race tunnel dug across major mountain formations. All units of the project have been sychronised on 30.03.2018 and the annual generation of the main project is 1712.96 MU. International Court of Arbitration in its final award on December 20, 2013 had upheld India’s right to divert water of western rivers: Jhelum, Chenab and Indus, for non-consumptive use for this project. This project is to bring immense benefits to the people of J&K by way of improved power supply, employment generation and infrastructure creation and the State will get 13% of its share of free power from National Hydroelectric Power Corporation-owned venture, which will be of around ₹133 crore per year.
- Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project dam site located in the Gurez valley is very close to the Line of Control, around 85 km from Bandipora town.
- Originally its height was planned at 98 metres but after objections from Pakistan, it was reduced to 37 metres.
- Project began in 2007 but was halted in 2011 as Pakistan appealed to Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration, complaining that the project violated Indus Water Treaty as it had allegedly increased the catchment of Jhelum River and was being deprived of its water rights.
- Pakistan is constructing Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project on the same river in its side, where it is called Neelum.
- Kishanganga Hydroelectric project owned and operated by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) in J&K has been constructed by Hindustan Construction Company Ltd, with UK-based Halcrow Group.
- Project successfully overcame several geological, logistical and engineering challenges.
- Project’s area gets heavy snow from mid-November till end of April, with temperature dipping as low as -23 degree Celsius and this climatic condition was the biggest challenge.
- Retaining construction workers in such isolated and harsh weather conditions was a major challenge.
- Project’s Head Race Tunnel: Horse shoe/Circular shaped, 5.2 m dia, 23.2 km total length, is one of its salient features and its construction involved first successful tunnel boring machine operation in the Himalayan region.
- Project has 3 Units of 110 MW each (330 MW) Underground Power House.
- Project has 37 m high Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam constructed at Gurez to divert water of Kishanganga River.
- The water is being diverted through a tunnel of length of 23.20 km, out of which 14.75 km has been executed by TBM using latest tunneling technology of Tunnel Boring Machine.
