There exist 19 hydro power projects in Jammu and Kashmir. These projects continue to play a significant role in producing electricity, ensuring industrial and public water supply, etc. across the valley. Let’s look at five such hydro power projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
5 Hydro Power Projects in J&K
1. Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project
The Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project is situated on the Kishenganga River. The river is a tributary of river Jhelum in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir. The project comprises a concrete faced rockfill dam that is 37 meters high and 23.2 kilometers long & 6.24 m/5.20 m dia horseshoe/ circular shaped head race tunnel.
Additionally, it features a 109.7 meters high surge shaft of 17.75 m dia restricted orifice type and 1055 meters long circular inclined steel lined pressure shaft of 4.0 meters meter diameter, trifurcating into three 2.3-meter diameter horizontal branches at the bottom. The beneficiary states include J&K, UP and Chhattisgarh.
2. Dulhasti Hydroelectric Project
Dulhasti power station is run-of-the-river with a pondage scheme and an installed capacity of 390 MW. The project harnesses the hydropower potential of the Chenab River. The project is located in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. Dulhasti comprises a 65-meter high and 186-meter-long concrete dam. It has a 7.46-meter diameter and 10.586-kilometer-long horse-shoe shaped HRT, surge shaft and pressure shaft with 3 penstocks of 3.65 diameter and 93 meters of length.
The Dulhasti project benefits several states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
3. Ganderbal Hydroelectric Project
Commissioned over 60 years ago, the Ganderbal Hydroelectric Project has an installed and approved capacity of 15 Megawatt. The water source of the project is Sindh Nallah, a tributary of Jhelum. The Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited manages the power plant.
The plant has four turbines. The capacity of the first and second unit is 3 MW, while that of the other two is 4.5 MW each. That makes the total installed capacity 15 Megawatt. The project is situated in the Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir and is situated at around 20 kilometers from Srinagar.
4. Chenani Hydroelectric Project
The Chenani Hydroelectric Project was commissioned in 1975. The project, with the capacity of 23.3 MW, is categorized as small. The source of the project is the River Tawi, a tributary of the Chenab River. The project, which is situated in the Udhampur district, is owned by Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited. The beneficiary states of the project include Jammu and Kashmir and the nearby states.
The project has five Pelton turbines, each with a capacity of 4.66 Megawatt and a rated speed of 600 rotations per minute. The project’s water conductor system is about 7 kilometers in length. It falls in the North Hydroelectric Region. All the five units of the project are commissioned.
5. Baglihar Hydropower Project
The last on this list is the Baglihar Hydropower Project, which is situated on the Chenab River. The dam is 143 meters high, 363 meters long and has a total capacity of 900 MW. The underground powerhouse of the project is 221 meters long, 51 meters high and 24 meters wide. It comprises six Francis turbines, each with a capacity of 150 MW that make up for the 900 MW capacity of the project, using a gross head of 130 meters. The project is situated in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Other hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir include, Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric Project (Jhelum River), Salal – I & II Hydroelectric Project (Chenab River), Sewa-II Hydroelectric Project (Sewa River), Sewa-III Hydroelectric Project (Ravi River), Nimmo-Bazgo Hydroelectric Project (Indus River), Upper Sindh Hydroelectric Project (Sindh Nallah River), Uri-I Hydroelectric Project, Uri-II Hydroelectric Project (both on the Jhelum River), etc. These projects continue to fulfill the power demands of the UT and contribute to its economic development.
Sources –
http://www.nhpcindia.com/projectdetail.htm?CatId=1&ProjectId=32
http://www.nhpcindia.com/Default.aspx?id=186&lg=eng&CatId=1&ProjectId=21
https://www.swapdial.com/public/knowledge-contents/industrial-data/ganderbal-hydroelectric-project/
https://www.swapdial.com/public/knowledge-contents/industrial-data/chenani-hydroelectric-project/
https://tractebel-engie.com/en/references/baglihar-hydropower-project
https://indiawris.gov.in/wiki/doku.php?id=hydro_electric_projects_in_jammu_and_kashmir
