The Centre on Wednesday approved Rs 1,600 crore worth pre-investment for the highest and largest hydro electric of India, Dibang Multipurpose Project, in Arunachal Pradesh.
The decision taken at the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave clearance to the project which will generate 2,880 MW (12x240 MW) power to produce 11,223 Mega Unit of energy in a 90 per cent dependable year. This is the largest ever hydro-electric project to be constructed in India.
The dam is 278 metres high and will be the highest dam in India once completed. The project is located on the Dibang river in Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh. Under the project, a 278-metre high concrete gravity dam (above deepest foundation level), six horseshoe-shaped head race tunnels of length varying from 300 metre to 600 metre, an underground power house and six horseshoe-shaped tail race tunnels of length varying from 320 metre to 470 metre will be constructed.
On completion, the Arunachal Pradesh Government will get 12 per cent free power from the project i.e. 1,346.76 MU, one per cent free power (i.e. 112 MUs will be given in the Local Area Development Fund), according to the statement. The total value of benefit to Arunachal Pradesh from free power and contribution to the LADF will be Rs 26,785 crore over the project life of 40 years, it stated. The construction of Dibang MPP shall prevent the sizeable downstream area from floods, said Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar, detailing the project approved by the CCEA.
After implementation of master plan of the Brahmaputra Board for flood moderation of all rivers contributing to the Brahmaputra river, of which Dibang MPP is one of the component, sizable area will be protected from flooding and help in mitigating the perennial damage due to floods in Assam. The project is having all statutory clearances such as TEC, environment clearance, forest clearance (stage-l) and defence clearance except forest clearance (stage-II) for seeking investment sanction from the Central Government.
Javadekar said the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for introduction of Dam safety Bill 2019 in Parliament. The Bill aim to implement safety procedures for around 5,600 dams in the country.
The CCEA also approved two railway projects in Uttar Pradesh and one in Assam to ease traffic on the busy Delhi-Kolkata route and through the northeastern States. The CCEA has given its approval to lay 150 km-long third railway line between Allahabad and Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction (formerly Mughalsarai) at an estimated cost of Rs 2,890 crore. The project will be completed by 2023-24 and will be executed by the Construction Organisation of North Central, said Piyush Goyal.
The capacity constraint on the route, which is currently at 159 per cent, is expected to come down to around 80 or 90 per cent after the completion of the project, he said.