Small Hydropower Projects to be Promoted in Arunachal

ITANAGAR, June 8: Boosting Arunachal government s plan to develop small hydropower projects to provide electricity on priority basis, the NITI Aayog has agreed that projects up to 100 MW could soon be promoted and taken up as small hydropower projects under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Aayog s CEO Amitabh Kant disclosed this during a meeting with Chief Minister Kalikho Pul in New Delhi yesterday, anM official communique informed here today.

Pul had sought the support of the planning body to help develop state's untapped hydropower potential in realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 24x7 power for all by 2022.

To boost development of small hydropower in the state, Pul advocated that the process of obtaining various clearances for the projects must be expedited and even made into a single window clearance system.

Pointing out the impact of basin studies on the viability of small projects on river tributaries, he observed that such studies resulted in delay in implementation of the projects despite clearances obtained from CEA and MoEF & CC.

"We have to be practical in our approach and we must strike a balance between the demands of environmental concerns and obligations of development," he said.

Pul reiterated that the projects proposed to be dropped as an outcome of Basin Study should be avoided as it may generate ill will and hamper future projects.

He quoted an example from Lohit basin area, where all surveys stand completed, though projects are yet to take off for basin studies. (more) 

-PTI