Three small/medium hydro power units to come up in Orissa

The Economic Times,24 Feb,2008


BHUBANESWAR: At least three of the 27 small and medium scale hydro power generation units will be operational by next fiscal in Orissa, state Energy Minister S N Patro said. Stating this in the state assembly while replying a question, Patro said the government had already granted permission for developing small and medium scale hydo power generation units in several places. Though the government had already identified nearly 70 places for setting up of small and medium hydro power projects ranging from 2-25 mw, only 27 were given permission. While 10 projects would be located in Koraput district, three projects each would be in Rayagada and Malkangiri districts, sources said adding that other places were Baragarh, Keonjhar, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kalahandi and Angul. To another question, the minister said none of the firms allowed to set up small and medium hydro power units, had been found putting electrical tower in forest areas. Congress MLA from Sonepur, Binod Patra had sought reply from the government regarding private companies putting electrical towers in forest areas thus destroying jungles. The minister said the small and medium hydro power generating companies had agreed to give 25 per cent of their production to the state while having freedom to sale rest of the power to their choice. "The state will get six paise per sale of every unit of power by the generating companies," Patro said adding that the tariff would change, if the companies achieved 80 per cent of the plf (plant load factor).