Arunachal govt to build 50 mini hydropower plants in Chinese border

14 Apr 2023 CW Team

The administration of Arunachal Pradesh has unveiled an ambitious proposal to construct 50 small hydropower projects along the Chinese border in order to electrify distant villages that are currently suffering difficulties due to inadequate connectivity and steep terrain. These 50 micro, mini, and tiny hydropower plants, with a capacity ranging from 10 to 100 Kilowatts (KW), are being constructed as part of the "Golden Jubilee Border Village Illumination Programme" at an estimated cost of Rs 2 billion.

The 50 projects are being completed in stages, and as part of Phase I, 17 projects have been accepted, with an installed capacity of 1255 KW and an anticipated cost of Rs 500 million.

These independent initiatives incorporate localised transmission and distribution elements to make it easier to provide basic services to border villages all at once.

Both the civilian population and the border guarding personnel stationed in the area face severe challenges due to the inability to provide grid connectivity to these remote places.

The military rely on expensive diesel generators to provide electricity.

In the mountainous border regions of the state, the abundance of water resources, including rivers and natural springs, along with heavy rainfall, is very advantageous for obtaining energy from micro-hydel projects.

These 17 projects spread over 11 districts will help 10,185 people in 123 border communities.

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