CM inaugurates Karbi Langpi project

Guwahati, Apr 06 (UNI) The 100 MW Karbi Langpi Hydro Electric Project was formally inaugurated by Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at Longrey in Karbi Anglong district today, 28 years after it was sanctioned.

Dedicating the project to the people of the state, Mr Gogoi appealed to the private parties to invest more in the state's power sector.

''By 2014, the state's power requirement would be nearly 1,500 MW. We are making efforts to generate this requirement from our own resources,''' he said.

Plans to renovate the thermal projects at Lakwa, Namrup and Chandrapur are also on the anvil, the chief minister informed.

The Rs 546.78-crore Karbi Langpi project, constructed by Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd by tapping the water of Barapani river, would be the first-of-its-kind built by the state government-managed board.

Initially, the cost of the project was estimated at Rs 173.69 crore, but it went up by more than double till the time of completion.

The cost of power generation per KWH would be Rs 1.73.

The 221 metres long and 54 metre high concrete gravity dam has seven radial gates measuring 12 m by 14m.

The water would be diverted from the high stream through a vertical gate.

The 100 MW power would be canalised from an over ground indoor-type powerhouse.

The first plant (50MW) of the project had been functioning from January 31, 2006, and the second unit of equal capacity was inaugurated today.

UNI