J&K’s Kishtwar to turn into major power hub after completion of ongoing projects: Dr Jitendra Singh

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar will become a major power hub after the completion of the ongoing power projects.

Jitendra Singh held a meeting with Chairman & Managing Director of National Hydro Project Corporation (NHPC), A K Singh, and discussions were held regarding ongoing projects of NHPC in Jammu & Kashmir and prospects of future business development.

The NHPC chief also briefed the minister about the status of the ongoing power projects in Kishtwar, which when completed will turn Kishtwar into a major power hub generating nearly 6000 MW of power, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

Pakal Dul hydroelectric (HE) project (1,000 MW) is under active construction after river diversion was carried out on November 1, 2021. The project will generate 3,230 million units (MUs) annually and is expected to be completed by July 2025, the statement said.

Kiru HE Project (624 MW) is also under active construction. The river diversion was carried out on December 31, 20221 and it will generate 2,272 MUs annually, the statement said, adding that the project is expected to be completed by July 2025.

The work of Kwar HE Project (40MW) started with the award of civil work package on May 11, 2022. The project will generate 1,975 MUs annually and scheduled completion is in November 2026, the statement added.

Ratle HE project (850 MW) is under construction and work started by awarding engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract on January 18, 2022. The scheduled date of commissioning of the project is February 10, 2026, and once commissioned, the project will generate 3,136 MUs annually, the statement said.

Kirthai-II HE project (930 MW) will generate 3329.52 MUs annually on commissioning, it added.

“With the commissioning of all these projects, the power requirement of Jammu and Kashmir will be improved drastically and will help in achieving the goal of zero-carbon emission,” the statement said. (PTI)