Onkareshwar Project in MP to be completed in record time

Onkareshwar, MP, July 17 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh will march a step further towards the goal of achieving self sufficiency in power generation in 2007-08 when the Onkareshwar Multi-purpose Hydro-electricity project of 520 MW capacity on the river Narmada is completed in a record time of less than four years sometime next year.

This follows completion and commissioning of the 1000 MW Indira Sagar Multi-purpose Project costing over Rs 4355 crore on the river Narmada in Khandwa district recently.

The dam built here has the capacity of irrigating 1.23 lakh hectares of land in 571 villages in three districts of Khandwa, Khargone and Badwani in Madhya Pradesh.

Both the Onkareshwar Project and the Indira Sagar Project have been undertaken by the Narmada Hydro Electrical Dvelopment Corporation, a joint venture of the NHPC and the Madhya Pradesh Government.

Located close to the famous pilgrim centre of Onkareshwar in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, the Project is likely to be commissioned in July or August next year, two months ahead of schedule,creating a record of sorts, according to its engineers.

Senior Manager of the Project Rajeev Jaiswal told a visiting group of journalists from Delhi that 80 per cent of the Project work relating to the power plant and the dam has been completed and the remaining work is being expedited.

An expenditure of Rs 1621.77 crore has been incurred on the project,costing a total of Rs 1846.77 crores,so far.The remaining work of the Project would be completed within the estimated cost or with a slight increase.

Mr Jaisawal attributed the speedy progress in the Onkareshwar project to the timely allocation of the funds in full with no political interference coming in the way of Project. More often than not, it is the politics involved in the rehabilation of the displaced persons and delay in the release of funds that delays the project. But nothing of the sort happened with the Onkareshwar Multi Purpose Project, with the result the Project is going to be completed ahead of schedule, he said.

UNI YS PA RN1508