IMPHAL, March 28: The Centre on Thursday announced the development of 23,245 MW hydropower projects in the northeastern states. Minister of State for Power, Shripad Naik, provided details in Parliament, stating that the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is currently constructing four hydroelectric and multipurpose projects in the region, with a combined capacity of 5,500 MW.

“Additionally, five hydroelectric and multipurpose projects with a power-generating capacity of 17,745 MW are proposed in the region,” Naik said in the Lok Sabha.

Naik detailed the current NHPC projects under construction, which include:

• Subansiri Lower HE Project (Arunachal Pradesh) – 2,000 MW
• Dibang Multipurpose Project (Arunachal Pradesh) – 2,880 MW
• Teesta-VI HE Project (Sikkim) – 500 MW
• Rangit-IV HE Project (Sikkim, through JPCL, a wholly owned subsidiary of NHPC Ltd) – 120 MW

NHPC has proposed five additional hydroelectric and multipurpose projects with a total power-generating capacity of 17,745 MW. Among them is the 2,700 MW Siang Lower HE Project in Arunachal Pradesh. Naik further outlined three major hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh with a capacity of 14,525 MW:

• Kamala HE Project – 1,720 MW
• Subansiri Upper HE Project – 1,605 MW
• Upper Siang Multipurpose Project – 11,200 MW
• Additionally, the 520 MW Teesta-IV HE Project has been proposed in Sikkim.

Naik informed that NHPC currently operates three hydroelectric power stations in the region, aggregating to 675 MW capacity, and has generated 16,935 million units (MU) of electricity over the past five years. The power stations include:

• Loktak Power Station (Manipur) – 105 MW
• Rangit Power Station (Sikkim) – 60 MW
• Teesta-V Power Station (Sikkim) – 510 MW

NHPC Ltd has also undertaken renovation and modernisation (R&M) works for the Loktak Power Station (105 MW) in Manipur. The power station, commissioned in 1983, completed its scheduled 35-year operational life in May 2018, necessitating upgrades for continued efficiency.