Himachal hydro projects resume power generation

Shimla, Aug 3 (IANS) The mega hydropower projects in Himachal Pradesh Friday resumed power generation after remaining closed for over 24 hours, an official said.

The closure had hit the electricity supply to northern states, including Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

The country's biggest hydropower plant -- the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri power project, and Jaypee Karcham Hydro Corp Ltd's 1,000 MW Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Project, both in Kinnaur district -- were shut down due to the sudden rise in the silt level of the Satlej river on which the projects are located, project officials said here.

The silt in the river had increased due to heavy rain in the region.

Power generation in all the six units of 250 MW each were resumed after silt content in the river came down to permissible limits, Vijay Verma, deputy general manager of Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL), the company that operates the Nathpa Jhakri power project, told IANS.

Jaypee Group's Karcham Wangtoo project restarted generation.

SJVNL, a joint venture between the centre and the state government, generates about 38 million units of power daily and supplies electricity to Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.