Subansiri Hydropower Project to start operations soon as main dam ready: NHPC

The construction of the 116 metre high main dam has been completed following which the 2000 MW Namni Subansiri Hydropower Project at Gerukamukh will be ready to begin operations soon, NHPC said.

Guwahati:With construction of the main dam being complete, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is set to begin operations of the 2000 MW Namni Subansiri Hydropower Project at Gerukamukh on the Assam-Arunachal border very soon.

Announcing this, NHPC claimed it to be a huge success for them as more than 90 percent of the total project work has already been completed. NHPC officials informed that construction of all major parts of the dam and powerhouses is over while work is going on in full swing to complete the hydro mechanical works. The remaining work on the radial gate will be completed after the monsoons following which, power generation will start by the end of this financial year.

NHPC executive director Bipin Gupta said that the construction of the main 116-meter high dam has been complete while the 2000 MW project is on the verge of completion. He also congratulated all officials for the project.

The project was approved by the forest ministry in October 2004. In January 2005, NHPC started the construction work of the Subansiri hydroelectric project. But, a study conducted by an expert committee constituted by the Government of Assam suggested that the dam should not be constructed on the hills of Gerukamukh located in the seismic area of the foothills of the Himalayas.

The NHPC was forced to halt the construction work due to widespread agitation and protests based on the expert committee's report. The construction work was postponed from December 2011 to October 2019 and construction of the project finally resumed from October 2019 onwards.