The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has accorded approval for incurring expenditure of Rs.1,600 crore on pre-investment activities and various clearances for the Dibang multipurpose project in Arunachal Pradesh, being developed by NHPC Ltd.
With an installed capacity of 2,880 mw, coming from 12 units of 240-mw each, the Dibang project in Arunachal Pradesh is India’s largest hydropower scheme, by current thinking.
The total estimated project is Rs. 28,080 including interest during construction (IDC) and financial charges of Rs 3975 crore at June 2018 price level, a stock exchange filing from NHPC said.
The estimated completion period for the project shall be nine years from receipt of government sanction.
The project shall generate 11,223 million kwh (MU) of energy in a 90 per cent dependable year. The envisaged dam is 278m high – the tallest in India.
Project components
The proposed multipurpose project is located on river Dibang, in Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh. The project envisages construction of a 278m high concrete gravity dam (above deepest foundation level), 6 horseshoe-shaped head race tunnels of length varying from 300m to 600m with 9m diameter, an underground powerhouse and six horseshoe-shaped tail race tunnels of length varying from 320m to 470 m with 9m dia.
Benefits to home state
On completion, the Arunachal Pradesh government will get 12 per cent free power from the project, which is around 1346.76 MU.
Another 1 per cent free power (i11.2 MU) will be given in Local Area Development Fund (LADF). The total value of benefit to Arunachal Pradesh· from free power and contribution to LADF will be Rs.26,785 crore over the project life of forty years.
Also read: CCEA Approves Investment For Hydropower Project In Himachal Pradesh
Multipurpose scheme
Dibang Multipurpose Project (Dibang MPP) is envisaged as a storage based hydroelectric project with flood moderation as the key objective. The construction of Dibang MPP shall prevent the sizeable downstream area from floods. After implementation of master plan of Brahmaputra Board for flood moderation of all rivers contributing to river Brahmaputra, 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.
Clearances
The project currently has all statutory clearances—technoeconomic clearance, forest clearance (Stage-I) and defence clearance—for seeking investment sanction. Forest clearance (Stage-II) is currently pending, NHPC said.
Featured photograph is strictly for representation only.
