President & CEO (Hydro Business), Jindal Power Limited
Online published on 28 August, 2015.
India's Largest Hydro Power Project of 3097 MW capacity Etalin Hydroelectric Project has been planned in the Dibang Valley in Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The project envisages utilization of waters of Dri and Tangon rivers for hydropower generation. The two rivers are tributaries of Dibang River which meet near Etalin village.
The project envisages construction of Concrete Gravity Dams at Dri and Tangon River, Two large dia Power Tunnels of 11.5m and 9.5m dia: Surge Shafts and Pressure Shafts for both the Schemes respectively.
The proposed installed capacity of the scheme on Dri is estimated at 1842 (307 x 6) MW and that for the scheme on Tangon at 1228 (307 x 4) MW. To utilize the e-Flow, Dam Toe power houses of 27 MW (19.6 MW on Dri and 7.4 MW on Tangon) have been planned. The total installed capacity of the project is 3097 MW. Etalin Hydro Electric Power Company Ltd (EHEPCL), a joint venture company of Jindal Power Ltd. (JPL) and Hydro Power Development Corporation of Arunachal Pradesh Ltd. intends to develop the project on Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis.
The area is dominated by Indigenous Population belonging to Idu-Mishmi tribes. There are numerous challenges for development of the project in the far flung North eastern region of India. The area located is in the remotest part where the medical and educational facilities are minimal. Scientific agriculture and horticulture is missing.
Road network is very poor besides very poor communication network. The nearest town is 280 km connected to a 4m wide road and damaged bridges and great Lohit River to be crossing on boat. A comprehensive Socio Economic upliftment plan has been developed by Jindal Group to take care of locals for their socio-economic development.
The paper deals with brief features of the project, R&R and Economic Development Plan. The efforts made by the developer for the upliftment of the local populace even before start of the project have been highlighted.
