Four hydro projects damaged in Uttarakhand glacier burst
POWER & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Four hydro projects damaged in Uttarakhand glacier burst

Sunday’s disastrous glacier outburst at Joshimath in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand has caused some major damage to hydro electric projects. Worryingly, as many as 157 workers—140 from NTPC-owned Tapovan Vishnugad project and 12 from Kundan Group’s Rishi Ganga project—have gone missing.

As many as four hydro electric projects are damaged:

Project

Company

Size

Tapovan Vishnugad

NTPC

520 MW

Pipalkoti

THDC India

444 MW

Vishnuprayag

Jaypee Group

400 MW

Rishi Ganga

Kundan Group

130 MW


Media sources say debris that was swept away by the avalanche from the Rishi Ganga small (13.2 MW) hydro project, the farthest upstream, caused damage to other downstream projects.

NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad project was being built at a cost of nearly Rs 3,000 crore. The dam is located at the confluence of the Dhauliganga and Rishiganga rivers. A statement from NTPC said, “An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under-construction hydropower project in the region. While rescue operations are on, the situation is being monitored.”

Two bridges, one near Tapovan and the other the entrance of Malari river, have been washed away.

Sixteen workers at the NTPC project have been rescued from a project tunnel by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Efforts are on by the ITBP to rescue more workers trapped in tunnels. Over 150 people are feared dead in the flash glacier flood and avalanche on the Alaknanda river in Chamoli district. Two teams of the NDRF have been sent and three additional teams have been flown in from Hindon airport in Ghaziabad. The troops will reach the affected region tonight. More than 200 ITBP personnel are on the spot. One column of the Engineering Task Force (ETF) of the Army, with all rescue equipment, has been deployed. Divers from the Indian Navy are being flown in.

There is no danger of flooding downstream, however, experts say, since the water level has been contained. But all other dams in the region have been put on alert. NHPC, the largest hydro project owner in the country, said in a statement that none of its dams were in the path of the avalanche and faced no damages. Flow from Tehri dam has been halted to facilitate smooth passage of the swollen waters along the Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda.

Image: The Indian Army is working through the rubble in tunnels in the ongoing efforts to search for and rescue any trapped people. 

Sunday’s disastrous glacier outburst at Joshimath in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand has caused some major damage to hydro electric projects. Worryingly, as many as 157 workers—140 from NTPC-owned Tapovan Vishnugad project and 12 from Kundan Group’s Rishi Ganga project—have gone missing. As many as four hydro electric projects are damaged:ProjectCompanySizeTapovan VishnugadNTPC520 MWPipalkotiTHDC India444 MWVishnuprayagJaypee Group400 MWRishi GangaKundan Group130 MWMedia sources say debris that was swept away by the avalanche from the Rishi Ganga small (13.2 MW) hydro project, the farthest upstream, caused damage to other downstream projects. NTPC’s Tapovan Vishnugad project was being built at a cost of nearly Rs 3,000 crore. The dam is located at the confluence of the Dhauliganga and Rishiganga rivers. A statement from NTPC said, “An avalanche near Tapovan in Uttarakhand has damaged a part of our under-construction hydropower project in the region. While rescue operations are on, the situation is being monitored.” Two bridges, one near Tapovan and the other the entrance of Malari river, have been washed away. Sixteen workers at the NTPC project have been rescued from a project tunnel by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Efforts are on by the ITBP to rescue more workers trapped in tunnels. Over 150 people are feared dead in the flash glacier flood and avalanche on the Alaknanda river in Chamoli district. Two teams of the NDRF have been sent and three additional teams have been flown in from Hindon airport in Ghaziabad. The troops will reach the affected region tonight. More than 200 ITBP personnel are on the spot. One column of the Engineering Task Force (ETF) of the Army, with all rescue equipment, has been deployed. Divers from the Indian Navy are being flown in. There is no danger of flooding downstream, however, experts say, since the water level has been contained. But all other dams in the region have been put on alert. NHPC, the largest hydro project owner in the country, said in a statement that none of its dams were in the path of the avalanche and faced no damages. Flow from Tehri dam has been halted to facilitate smooth passage of the swollen waters along the Rishi Ganga and Alaknanda. Image: The Indian Army is working through the rubble in tunnels in the ongoing efforts to search for and rescue any trapped people. 

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

South West Pinnacle Wins Rs 30 Cr Oman Mining Contract

South West Pinnacle Exploration Ltd has secured a Rs 30 crore contract from Minerals Development Oman (MDO) for mining exploration in concession areas 12B and 13.The two-year project will be carried out via Alara Resources LLC, a JV in Oman. MDO, backed by Oman’s investment authorities, focuses on monetising mineral wealth.The contract covers copper, gold, and chromite and highlights South West Pinnacle’s growing footprint in international exploration and mining services. ..

Next Story
Equipment

Godrej GEG Boosts Intralogistics with AI and Green Tech

Godrej Enterprises Group (GEG) is revolutionising warehouse and factory logistics through its Material Handling Equipment and Storage Solutions arms by integrating AI, IoT, and automation.With 20–25% market share and 85% local sourcing, GEG champions Atmanirbhar Bharat and sustainability. The Chennai plant, a green manufacturing leader, uses RoHS-compliant materials and has slashed energy consumption by 60%.GEG serves e-commerce, FMCG, retail, and cold chains with high-performance racking and electric forklifts. Upcoming IoT-enabled forklifts and telematics solutions aim to improve speed, sa..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Amit Shah Inaugurates Key Projects Across Gujarat

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district and Ahmedabad.In Godhra, he inaugurated the Center of Excellence building, sports complex, reservoir, and Miyawaki plantation. In Ahmedabad, he unveiled a new cooperative complex in Adaroda village and a primary school in Juwal.These projects, under the Model Co-op Village scheme, aim to boost education, sustainability, and rural development across the state. ..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?