NTPC Tapovan project estimated to suffer massive losses

09 Feb 2021 Editorial Team

The minister visited Tapovan to assess the extent of damage at the project site, a day after the glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.

The minister said that damages caused to the project were estimated at around Rs 1,500 crore, but ruled out any chances of the project being scrapped. The overall cost of the project is Rs 13,500 crore.

Lakhs of tonnes of silt is deposited at the project site, and the time it will take to desilt it has put a question mark on the project's commissioning in 2023, Singh told media sources.

NTPC stated that 120 workers were on the roster at the NTPC project, while three bodies have been recovered from the site till now. Earlier media reports had indicated that the flash floods had washed away the dam and office, accounting for about 60% of the completed construction work. Estimates of damage at that time, on Sunday, stood at Rs 450 crore. Those reports had suggested that between 60% and 70% of the construction may have been lost.

As we reported yesterday, hundreds of workers have been missing and several have been rescued. A news report said 12 workers were trapped in a tunnel in Tapovan, where NTPC’s project is underway. Miraculously, one of them found that his mobile network was working, and seven hours after being confined in the tunnel Monday evening, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) rescued them. They are under treatment at an ITBP hospital in Joshimath, 25 km away.

A massive, round-the-clock rescue operation is underway. However, differing numbers have been emerging about the number of workers that could be trapped in the 12 ft high, 15 ft wide, 2.5 km long tunnel, which has offshoot tunnels within. Officials told media sources that they estimated that 34 were trapped in the main tunnel, while five could be in the offshoots. Latest figures indicate that at least 18 people have died in the tragic accident, which is now suspected to be an avalanche and not a “glacier burst”.

Image: Four hydro projects including NTPC’s 520 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project are damaged.

Also read: Four hydro projects damaged in Uttarakhand glacier burst

The National Power Thermal Corporation Ltd (NTPC) has suffered an estimated loss of Rs 1,500 crore at its Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project after suffering heavy damage from the Uttarakhand glacier burst, and its commissioning, which was scheduled in 2023, is expected to be delayed, said Union Power Minister RK Singh. The minister visited Tapovan to assess the extent of damage at the project site, a day after the glacier burst in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. The minister said that damages caused to the project were estimated at around Rs 1,500 crore, but ruled out any chances of the project being scrapped. The overall cost of the project is Rs 13,500 crore. Lakhs of tonnes of silt is deposited at the project site, and the time it will take to desilt it has put a question mark on the project's commissioning in 2023, Singh told media sources. NTPC stated that 120 workers were on the roster at the NTPC project, while three bodies have been recovered from the site till now. Earlier media reports had indicated that the flash floods had washed away the dam and office, accounting for about 60% of the completed construction work. Estimates of damage at that time, on Sunday, stood at Rs 450 crore. Those reports had suggested that between 60% and 70% of the construction may have been lost. As we reported yesterday, hundreds of workers have been missing and several have been rescued. A news report said 12 workers were trapped in a tunnel in Tapovan, where NTPC’s project is underway. Miraculously, one of them found that his mobile network was working, and seven hours after being confined in the tunnel Monday evening, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) rescued them. They are under treatment at an ITBP hospital in Joshimath, 25 km away. A massive, round-the-clock rescue operation is underway. However, differing numbers have been emerging about the number of workers that could be trapped in the 12 ft high, 15 ft wide, 2.5 km long tunnel, which has offshoot tunnels within. Officials told media sources that they estimated that 34 were trapped in the main tunnel, while five could be in the offshoots. Latest figures indicate that at least 18 people have died in the tragic accident, which is now suspected to be an avalanche and not a “glacier burst”.Image: Four hydro projects including NTPC’s 520 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad project are damaged.Also read: Four hydro projects damaged in Uttarakhand glacier burst

Infrastructure Urban

17 Sep 2025

DCPC Prepares for Special Campaign 5.0 with Focus on E-Waste

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, is gearing up for Special Campaign 5.0, to be held from 2nd to 31st October 2025. The initiative will focus on e-waste disposal as per MoEFCC’s E-Waste Management Rules 2022, space optimisation, and enhancing workplace efficiency across field offices.Special Campaign 4.0, conducted between October 2023 and October 2024, delivered notable results in record management, grievance redressal, scrap disposal, and cleanliness drives.Key outcomes of Special Campaign 4.0Records management: 2,443 physical fil..

Real Estate

17 Sep 2025

BlackRock India Leases 1.4 Lakh Sq Ft in Bengaluru

BlackRock Services India, the domestic arm of global asset manager BlackRock, has leased 1.4 lakh sq ft of office space at IndiQube Symphony in Bengaluru, according to Propstack data. The 10-year deal is valued at around Rs 4.10 billion.The lease, among the largest transactions in India’s co-working sector, highlights the growing preference of global institutions for flexible office providers. The agreement, commencing October 1, 2025, covers ground plus five floors in KNG Tower 1 at Ashoknagar, MG Road — one of Bengaluru’s prime commercial hubs.As per the lease document, BlackRock will ..

Infrastructure Transport

17 Sep 2025

L&T Bags Rs 25–50 Bn Order for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Track Works

Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Transportation Infrastructure business has secured an order valued between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 billion from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.The contract, Package T1, involves the design, supply, construction, testing, and commissioning of 156 route km of high-speed ballastless track on a Design-Build Lump Sum Price basis. The stretch runs from Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex to Zaroli village in Gujarat and includes 21 km of underground track and 135 km of elevated viaduct.Se..