60 back-to-back power projects being built by India on Chenab

by Khalid Mustafa   in the News, July 27

ISLAMABAD: In another shocking revelation, after India on June 25 laid the foundation stone of the 850-MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project (RHP) on Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, another row of 60 back-to-back water cum power projects is coming up in the Chenab basin of Himachal Pradesh and Indian-held Kashmir, reveals a document available with The News.

Chenab irrigates the central part (Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Depalpur, Okara and some part of south Punjab (Bhawalnagar) in Pakistan. The Punjab is the food basket of the whole country and if this trend of constructing hydropower projects continues unabated, then the day is not far off when the province will turn barren, Hamid Malhi, presidentof Punjab Water Council told this correspondent.

The document also shows that India has chalked out plans to store 20 MAF water on Pakistan’s rivers with the purpose to get power out of them and harness the capacity to regulate water releases to Pakistan.

Another objective of India is to replace coal-based electricity generation with clean hydroelectricity. However, our novice water and energy adviser has recommended in the power policy 2013, which provinces did not approve in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, the import of electricity from India without considering its impact on the Indus Water Treaty under the umbrella of regional trade of electricity.

A statement by the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi Salman Bashir has also been reported which quotes him as saying that Pakistan will import electricity from India. How he made that statement and whether he did that with the approval of the Foreign Office is not yet clear.

Eng Syed Shafiq, expert in renewable energy, claimed that the power policy presented in CCI is purely a cut and paste policy, as most of the slides out of total 23 slides of the power policy had been taken from the presentation a local think tank had prepared.

He said that the advisor was a pharmacist and has experience of just 3 months in the ministry. However, he possesses the quality to impress the participants through his speaking skills, Shafiq said.

He also suggested that Pakistan should learn from the power policy Kabul has craved out as its policy consists of well-defined framework and action plan.

The document discloses that the new 540 MW Seli Hydro Electric Project (HEP) is another addition in Chenab River but in Lahul & Spiti District in the state of Himachal Pradesh. “The project has been awarded to contractor for construction.”

The Seli HEP envisages the construction of a dam near Shulling village and the underground powerhouse situated on the right bank of the Chenab River near Gugal Nala. The project also involves the construction of the headrace tunnel, surge shaft, penstock and a powerhouse tailrace channel, and is proposed to have four units, each of 120 MW Capacity. The project envisages construction of a dam of 78 m from river bed level and 123 m high from deepest foundation level, two head race tunnels about 4.17 km and 4.25 km each and a underground powerhouse on the right bank of the Chenab river with installed capacity of 540 MW. The catchment area of the project is about 6053 sq km, of which about 3787 sq km remains under snow.

The proposed Shamnot HEP in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, is located upstream of the proposed Baglihar project on Chenab. The project envisages harnessing the hydropower potential of the river. A concrete gravity dam is proposed across the river just opposite of the Shamnot village and an underground powerhouse with an installed capacity of 4 x 92.5 MW is proposed upstream of Udhaipur nala in Doda District. The main project will generate 1651 Gwh in a 90% dependable year and 1738.02 Gwh in a 50% dependable year.

The Shamnot HEP envisages construction of 450 feet high concrete gravity dam across river Chenab to provide a live stage of eight million cubic meters at 912 meters above from Seal Level.

Another Barinium HEP, in Doda district is also proposed on river Chenab upstream of Ungilar Nalla. The project envisages harnessing the hydropower potential by construction of a concrete gravity dam and surface powerhouse with an installed capacity of 2 x 120 MW is proposed down stream of dam. The scheme will generate 1170.34 million units of electricity.

Several other hydroelectric projects, including Gyspa, Chattru, Shangling, Miyarm Tandi, Seli, Reoli Dugli, Bardang, Patam, Tinget and Purthi, are coming up in the ecologically vulnerable region of Himachal Pradesh but on Chenab river.

When contacted eminent water experts Shamsul Mulk and Arshad H Abbasi warned the said projects have been initiated without any cumulative impact assessment in terms of ecology, geology, disaster and climate change impacts. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-24407-60-back-to-back-power-projects-being-built-by-India-on-Chenab