DHEMAJI: The Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project, one of the landmark initiatives undertaken by NHPC Limited on the Subansiri River at the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, is nearing a milestone. Three out of the eight units, each with a generation capacity of 250 MW, would come into operation before March 2025, according to project head Rajendra Prasad.
With 95-96% construction work done, the project is likely to be fully functional by May 2026. Once ready, it shall add 2,000 MW of electricity and become India's largest conventional hydropower project.
Around 3,000 workers relentlessly worked in the Rs. 26,000-crore initiative that will supply power to 17 states, including Assam (533 MW), Arunachal Pradesh (274 MW), and other Northeastern states (198 MW). Northern and western regions will get 387 MW and 613 MW, respectively.
The project that had been initiated in January 2005 faced a lot of local protests and got stalled from 2011 to 2019. Work resumed after the National Green Tribunal gave the clearance to work, though the delays increased the cost nearly four times as high as an initial Rs. 6,285 crore to a whopping Rs. 26,000 crore.
NHPC is also preparing detailed plans for two additional projects on the Subansiri River with a cumulative capacity of 3,360 MW, further putting a seal on the river as a hub for hydropower.
Prasad pointed out that after the commission of the project, its completion will be economically significant as an estimated Rs. 4,000 crore in annual revenue and 5,000 direct jobs.
To engage people at the grassroots level, NHPC is investing in community development initiatives, including schools and healthcare in Gerukamukh village.
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