Idukki: Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) completes the tunnel construction for the Chinnar hydroelectric project in Idukki district of Kerala in record time.
The special feature of the 24-mega watt capacity hydroelectric project that is getting ready at Chinnar, is that it can generate power all round the year without causing any environmental problems. The construction works of the 3.2 kilometres long tunnel, which is part of the hydroelectric project, has been completed by the KSEB about 2 months ahead of schedule. Overcoming the COVID crisis, the tunnel works have been completed in 628 days.
The building cost of the power project is estimated at Rs 269.87 crores. Once commissioned, the project is expected to generate up to 76.45 million units of electricity in a year, as per KSEB’s evaluation data.
S. Pradeep, the Project Manager, said that going by the current pace of works, the project is expected to be commissioned much earlier than planned.
As many as 2616 blasts were carried out for the tunnel works. The procedure of issuing tenders for the construction of the powerhouse and the penstock is also on.
The main parts of the Chinnar hydropower project include the concrete dam without gates, sized 9 metres in height and 150 metres in length being built at Chinnar Manguvayil, the 3200-metre long tunnel with a diameter of 3.9 metres and concrete lining, a powerhouse being built at Panamkutty, a 550 metre long and 3-metre diameter pipeline to carry water to the powerhouse. Of these, the works of tunnel driving and surge shaft have been completed. The construction of the dam and the related works are ongoing. The works for the project had begun in March 2018.
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