New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday directed officials to speed up construction of the 450 MW Shongtong-Karchham hydroelectric project on the Satluj river in Kinnaur district, so that it can be commissioned by March-April 2027.
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Chairing a review meeting of the energy department, Sukhu said close to 80 percent of the powerhouse construction had been finished.
Work on the barrage will continue through the monsoon, with the Satluj's flow being diverted through bays 4 and 5, while construction on diversion bays 1, 2 and 3 progresses at the same time, according to an official statement.
Sukhu said the project had crossed the 80 percent overall completion mark despite a series of technical and geographical hurdles, which the state government had addressed through continuous monitoring and improved planning.
Site-specific technical measures were being applied regularly to keep construction on pace, he said, according to the statement.
The chief minister said the project would substantially raise the state's power generation capacity, strengthen its energy self-reliance and support environmentally sustainable growth.
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Once operational, the project is expected to produce 1,579 million units of electricity a year, bolstering the state's energy portfolio and improving grid stability, the statement said. It is also projected to add nearly Rs 900 crore annually to the state economy.