Power is a critical infrastructure for economic development and improving the quality of life. Hydro Power is clean and environment friendly, inflation free, has flexibility of operation and is multipurpose in nature. Our country is blessed with enormous hydro power potential over 148,700 MW, besides pumped storage potential of about 94,000 MW. Hydro power development has been addressed as national priority and has to playa significant role in the sustainable development of the energy sector and also the economy of our country. The installed capacity as on 31.3.2006 was 31,925 MW (BHEL’s contribution 51%). The Government of India (GOI) has planned to add another 18,000 MW in the XI plan. More than 60% hydro power potential lies in the Indus, Ganga and the Brahmaputra Basins. The rivers originating from the Himalayas bring large amount of hard silt particles during rainy season (more than 10,000 ppm containing approx. 90% quartz having hardness 7 on Moh’s scale). Power Stations i.e. Salal, Baira Siul, Uttarkashi, Nathpa Jhakri, Dehar etc. built across these rivers are facing problem of severe erosion of underwater parts of turbine (runner, labyrinth seals, nozzles, guide vanes, liner/cheek plates etc.) requiring their frequent replacement resulting in huge generation loss.
