Work on 624 MW Kiru project to begin by June end

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has issued orders for starting work on 624 MW Kiru hydroelectric project in Kishtwar. It has directed the executing agency, Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited, to start the work by the end of June.

Estimated to be completed at Rs 4287 crore, the foundation of the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 February 2019

   

The project, a run-of-the-river scheme, is coming up over river Chenab in Kishtwar. The project is being developed by Chenab Valley Power Projects (CVPP), a joint venture between National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC, 49%), Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC, 49%) and Power Trading Corporation (PTC, 2%).

The CVPPL has awarded contracts for construction, development works of the project to three companies. M/s Patel Engineering Ltd has been allotted civil works while M/s PES Engineers

and M/s Andritz Hydro Limited have been allotted hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical works respectively.

“The construction company has conveyed that it would mobilize only engineers as most of its machinery required for starting the work is already available in UT,” said an official.

On Sunday, district development commissioner Kishtwar, Rajinder Singh Tara visited the project site and took stock of the ongoing works there.

During the inspection he reviewed the progress of proposed works that the CVPP is undertaking at the site including setting of residential colony for workers working there, roads construction and other allied works to be started after the permission for the resumption of development work in the district has been granted after a long gap of lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The investment sanction of the project was granted by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 7 March 2019.

The project will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs 4287.59 crore (at July, 2018 price level) which includes “Interest during Construction (IDC) and Foreign Component (FC) and infusion of equity”.

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has already granted exemption on account of payment of levy of toll tax, State Goods and Service Tax (SGST), waiver of free power in a decrement manner and water usage charges for a period of 10 years from the date of commercial operation of the project.

The project was awarded “scoping clearance” by Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in September 2008 and revalidated for an installed capacity of 624MW in September 2015.

Environment clearance was issued in June 2016 and the project received approval from the State Administrative Council (SAC) in January 2019. The completion of the project is expected by 2023.

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