After the World Bank withdrew funding of SJVN’s upcoming 612 MW luhri Hydro electric projects on river Satluj in Himachal Pradesh, company claimed to have been vigorously pursuing the clearances to eventually implement the project as conceived.
SJVN said the Implementation Agreement (IA) for this project was signed between Government of Himachal Pradesh and SJVN on October 27, 2008, while it had been allocated to the company for preparation of DPR in December 2004.It said that Union Government accorded stage-I approval under forest (conservation) Act 1980 for diversion of 27115.77 hectare forest land for the project in favour of SJVN limited on February 27, 2013 and environment clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) was received on August 19, 2013 for 612 MW capacity.
Detailed Project Report of the project was updated with an installed capacity of 588 MW (3 x 196 MW) having single tunnel (10.5m dia), and submitted to CEA on March 14, 2013 for Techno Economic Clearance. CEA has already cleared nine chapters of the DPR as on March 15, 2014.
Company said that the Techno Economic Clearance (TEC) was likely to be received and targeted by September 30 this year. Since, the World Bank was not agreeing to fully fund the project, SJVN is already looking towards other alternatives while the final decision on funding will be taken by the Government of India.
SJVN, in a statement, said that talks were still under way with the World Bank and other funding agencies on this aspect. Meanwhile, SJVN has already completed various activities on the exploratory drilling and drifts as well as providing infrastructure for the project.In respect of execution of private land measuring 109,49,08 hectares, there are 26 cases under various stages of assessment and approval.