Spiral casing erected at NJPC

Briefing mediapersons, spokesman for the NJPC, V.K. Verma said the World Bank team visited the project site last month and expressed satisfaction with the pace of work. The World Bank is providing 437 million US dollars for the project.

Verma said the work on other project components, including construction of a dam on Sutlej river desilting chambers, head race tunnel and surge shaft, was in progress. The NJPC is consulting experts on possibilities of raising the height of the dam. The experts of Water and Power Consultancy Organisation had also visited the area recently. The final decision on the height, however will require assent of the Central Water Commission.

Verma, however, maintains that proposal to raise the height of the dam was necessitated following landslide, which had raised the surface of the river.

But the engineers fear if the height was raised this would affect Bhabha Hydel Project whose tail race tunnel would submerge. But if the height was not raised it would not affect power generation from the project.

Verma added that the electro-mechanical operations at country8217;s largest power house was going on at full swing and erection of the draft tubes in all six units had already been completed. More than 25 km of 27.4 km long head-race tunnel had been excavated and work on 301 m deep surge shaft had also been completed.