India on Tuesday approved its largest ever hydropower project – Dibang Multipurpose Project (MPP) – in the mountainous northeastern region bordering China in a move to build renewable generation to meet rising power demand. The project will be developed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited, reported news agency Bloomberg.
Here’s all you need to know about the hydropower project:
1. The 2,880-megawatt Dibang hydropower project is being built in the Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh on the Dibang River. It has received an approval for an estimated investment of 319 billion rupees ($3.9 billion) and is said to take approximately nine years to build.
2. The project is aiming for the construction of a 278m high Concrete Gravity Dam (above the deepest foundation level), 6 Nos. horseshoe-shaped head race tunnels of length varying from 300m to 600 m with 9 m diameter, an underground Power House, and 6 Nos. horseshoe-shaped tailrace tunnels of length varying from 320m to 470 m with 9m diameter.
3. The project’s primary objective is to serve flood control and is based on storage. Once built, the 278-meter-tall dam will be India’s tallest.
4. The government of Arunachal Pradesh will receive 1346.76 MU or 12% of the project’s cost after completion.
5. According to LiveMint, Rs. 241 crores will be spent on the community and social development plan, Rs. 327 lakhs will be spent on a plan to safeguard the local people’s culture and identity.
Source- Hindustan Times.
