NEW DELHI, Nov 10 - Amid raging storm over the construction of the 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydropower Project in Arunachal Pradesh, the National Hydro Power Company (NHPC) has decided not to raise the height of the dam. However, the Centre has constituted a Project Oversight Committee (POC) in this connection.
�We will undertake some construction works as per the recommendations of the Dam Design Review Panel. The works comprises protection work on the downstream of the dam. Right now, we will not raise the height of the dam,� Director Technical of NHPC DP Bhargava said.
When asked about the concerned lower riparian States, like Assam, regarding the impact of the project on the flow of the river, NHPC Chairman-cum-Managing Director KM Singh, however, said that he couldn�t comment on that. But the Director Technical quickly added to his reply saying, �We offered to run one machine continuously so that there is minimum flow of water in the river all year round. They have agreed.
�The Government of India has also constituted a committee called Project Oversight Committee. Their meetings are going on to assess the project,� Bhargava said.
The committee has been appointed to take views of independent sources and consult some geologists. �We have approached IIT Mumbai and Himachal University, Shimla in this connection. We have also asked two experts to give reports on seismicity in the region. They have said that whatever we have adopted is slightly on the higher side than what it should be adopted,� the Director Technical said.
�So the seismic value that we have adopted is quite safe. The POC will have some more meetings to finalise the issue,� said Bhargava.
Meanwhile, in an interestingly turn of events, the private players, who were allotted hydropower projects by the Arunachal Pradesh government, seems to be in a fix and have started offering the projects allotted to them to the NHPC.
