Question : HYDEL POWER PROJECTS

(a) whether the construction of hydel power projects is facing a number of bottlenecks, both natural and man-made;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken by the Government to overcome these bottlenecks;

(c) whether the life extension works have led to increase in the operational time period of the hydel power projects and if so, the details thereof during the last three years and the current year; and

(d) the other steps being taken by the Government to augment power generation capacity of the hydel power projects?

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR POWER, COAL AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY ( SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL )

(a) to (d) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 160 TO BE ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 17.07.2014 REGARDING HYDEL POWER PROJECTS.

(a) & (b): Hydel Power Projects due to difficult location and geological uncertainties face a number of bottlenecks, both natural and man-made. The major natural bottlenecks encountered in hydel power projects are natural calamities, geological uncertainties, difficult terrain & poor accessibility, etc. The major man-made bottlenecks relate to land acquisition problems, local agitations/ resistance including rehabilitation & resettlement issues, etc.

The Project-wise details of major bottlenecks being faced in the hydro projects under construction and the steps being taken by the Government/ Developer to overcome these are at Annex–I.

(c): Life extension works of old hydro-electric projects have led to increase in the operational time period of the projects. The Project-wise details of hydro-electric projects on which life extension (LE) works have been completed during last three years and the current year are given at Annex-II.

(d): To augment the power generation capacity of the existing hydro electric power plants, the generating utilities in the country undertake Renovation and Modernisation works which leads to Uprating and life extension of the hydro electric plants.