Environmental and People Centric Development of Water Resources Projects in Indrāvati sub-basin of India for Sustainable Development : Review of proposed Bhopalpatnam Multipurpose Project

The technological advancement in the field of remote sensing and contour mapping have immensely helped for water resources planning and evaluating the techno-economic feasibility of the multipurpose river valley projects. The Water Resources Engineers and Planners always intended to critically analyze the outcome of each area of development that may require the study for harnessing its optimum potential. In the instant case the study of the Bhopalpatnam hydropower project, which was planned about 43 years back, is primarily focused for development of the project as peaking power station to stabilize the grid by Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board (MPEB). As a matter of fact, the MPEB had identified all feasible sites in cascade manner across river Indrāvati in the erstwhile state of Madhya Pradesh (now in the state of Chhattisgarh) to harness its hydropower potential having total installed capacity of 2510 MW.

Indrāvati sub basin is part of larger Godavari basin, which is the second largest basin in India after Ganga basin. It offers excellent natural suitable sites for creation of storage dams at 6 locations situated in the state of Chhattisgarh of India. The proposed Bhopalpatnam HEP is an inter-state project of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh (a joint venture of erstwhile state of MP and Maharashtra) having power sharing of its 1000 MW installed capacity in the ratio 45% and 55% respectively. The total project cost shall be borne each beneficiary state in the same proportion. (Ref. DPR 1983).

The award passed by Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDTA) in the Year 1980 in respect of allocation of utilization water of Godavari basin paved the way for identification, planning and development of multipurpose water resources projects in Indrāvati sub basin by the erstwhile state of Madhya Pradesh in order to primarily harnessing the abundant hydropower potential available in this basin. However, the development of these power projects comprising major part of the Indrāvati valley have been stalled since last 43 years due to lack of coordinated approach involving various interstate issues.