GUWAHATI: The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has announced that the Subansiri Lower Dam, also known as Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project, along the Assam-Arunachal border will be functional by August 2022.
The Hydroelectric Project has an annual power generation capacity of 742.59 Million Units (MU) and is the largest project under construction in the country.
Chief Managing Director (CMD) of NHPC A K Singh on November 9 assured the visiting Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy (2021-2022) that the Project's major components will be ready in due course so that at least two out of the eight units of the project gets commissioned by August 2022.
Rajiv Ranjan, who chaired the Parliamentary Committee, visited the project site on November 9. Later the NHPC, stated that the Committee appreciated the work of the project team and the progress achieved so far.
The Hydroelectric Project construction work had been halted several times since 2011, following massive protests by opposition political parties and by different organisations, citing threats to life and property in the downstream areas of Assam.
However, work on the Project resumed on October 15, 2019, following recommendations from the National Green Tribunal.
As per NHPC sources, due to the prolonged delay, the cost of the Project escalated to around Rs 20, 000 crore from the earlier estimation of Rs 6,900 crore.