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Subansiri power project held up due to stir: Goyal

By Spl Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 - Following massive protests over construction of dams in seismically sensitive zone, including the Northeast, the Centre has admitted that the proposed 2000-MW Subansiri Lower Hydropower Project and 12 hydropower projects at survey and investigation stage, totalling 6118 MW, are currently held up.

Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, said in a Lok Sabha reply that some hydropower projects, at survey, investigation as well as construction stage, are facing protests from local people.

Goyal revealed that out of the total hydroelectric potential in the country above 25 MW capacity, estimated at 1,45,320 MW, about 50 per cent, mainly in Northeastern region and some areas in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, fall in Seismic Zone-V.

He further disclosed that the government is planning to review the hydropower potential of the country, which was last reassessed during 1978-87.

The reassessment has been necessitated due to the availability of additional hydrological, topographical and other data about upstream and downstream water usages as well as the e-flow and other considerations mandated by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

Studies for reassessment of hydroelectric potential in the country had been conducted by the Central Electricity Authority from 1978 to 1987, based on which, the total identified hydropower potential in the country (above 25 MW capacity) has been assessed at 1,45,320 MW.

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