After 48 yrs, mother of all dams gets its first major clearance

In 1995, when the Manipur Assembly voted that they did not need the dam, its fate seemed sealed. It was revived only four months back ago NEEPCO (North Eastern Power Corportion) signed an agreement with the Manipur and the Mizoram government.

The project will provide 1,5000 MW electricity and will require an investment of Rs 5,164 crores over the next seven years. The cost per unit of power is slated to be Rs 2.38 per unit. The present storage capacity of the Bhakra Nangal Dam is 9.6 billion cubic metres (bcm) while Narmada Dam is 12.2 bcm.

Tipaimukh Dam’s total storage capacity would be 15.5 bcm, making it the largest in the country. It has committed 12 per cent of its generated power to Manipur and Mizoram. The biggest buyer will be the Power Trading Corporation which will plough it into the Southern and Central grid to the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

For the first time, Rs 300 crores has been set aside to tackle insurgency in the area and to beef-up security which is one of the major concerns. Of the total project cost, Rs 100 crore is earmarked for national highway diversion and Rs 200 crore for flood mitigation. These allocations are seen as something that clinched the approval from the two state governments.

In anticipation, construction of a helipad has already begun at the site for the VIP who will come and lay the foundation stone. ‘‘It is my opinion that a hydroelectric project will change the face of the North East and help end insurgency which is because of economic reasons,’’ said S C Sharma, NEEPCO chairman and managing director.In keeping with its gigantic proportion, it will displace

nearly 1,000 families and submerge nearly 27,000 hectares of forest. Action Committee on Tipaimukh, which is a civil society’s coalition, has petitioned the Prime Minister and President on a number of occasions. Their main argument is that it will submerge a ‘‘genetic hotspot’’ and uproot indigenous communities specially the Zeliangrong and Hmar tribals from the two districts of Churachandpur and Tamenglong districts where the main reservoir is supposed to be situated.

Anti-dam coalitions have voiced its concerns including the fact that it is on a seismic active area. ‘‘The seismic aspect is being care by experts from IIT Roorkee and they can simulate an earthquake,’’ said Sharma.

NEEPCO is busy organising the finances and the contractors. The Government of India would be financing 30 per cent of the cost and the rest is to come from loans. The Power Finance Corporation has already agreed to give a loan at the rate of 10.5 per cent.

‘‘However, I am confident I can manage with international banks at a much cheaper rate bringing down the cost further,’’said Sharma. In a meeting held on June 11, representatives from ICICI Bank, Deutsche Bank and PNB Paribas have shown interest in financing the project.

The contract will be given as a turnkey project and international tenders have been floated. The time period given for completion is seven years, eight months and the first unit will get operational in 82 months.