Two Lower Subansiri units start production, middle project gets Centre nod
The Centre granted investment and environment clearance for the 1,600 MW Middle Subansiri Project, with tenders already underway and flood safeguards in place.
File image of 2000 MW Subansiri Lower HE Project (Photo: @nhpcltd/x)
Guwahati, Feb 10: As two units of the Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project have started commercial production and the third is almost ready, the NHPC have received all the clearance from the Central Government for starting construction of the Middle Subansiri Project, while studies are on for the Upper Subansiri project.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that the Government of India has given the investment clearance for the Middle Subansiri Project, which would generate more than 1,600 MW of power. The environment clearance has also been received, and the tender process has started for the construction of the project.
On the Lower Subansiri Project, sources said that two units have started commercial production and are generating 500 MW of power, and the third unit would start commercial production in a day or two. All eight units of the project are likely to start commercial production by the end of March 2027 if everything goes according to schedule.
Sources admitted that because of the shortage of water flow during the dry season, it would not be possible to run all eight units throughout the day. During the monsoon season, there would be no problem as there would be no shortage of water. But the problem would come in the dry season. Even now, the water flow of the Subansiri river is very low.
Sources said that during the dry season, only one or two units are run during the daytime and save water so that all the units can be run during the peak period. “At least one unit will have to be run throughout the day to ensure that the river does not dry up,” sources added.
Replying to a question whether the Lower Subansiri Project would cause floods in the downstream areas, sources said that, unlike some other hydro power projects in the region and in Bhutan, the Lower Subansiri project has flood cushioning and flood storage up to 15 meters. “We are prepared for high floods after assessing the recorded high flood water level of the Subansiri river, and there should not be any major problem during the rainy season,” sources added.