Nimoo Bazgo hydroelectric project - a boon to the denizens of Ladakh who understand the real value of electricity

摘要

"Only the best of friends and the worst of enemies will visit you in Ladakh" goes the saying in the Ladakh region (in Jammu & Kashmir). Ladakh the moon land and cold desert is actually a land of passes. The geography and hostile climate of this region makes Ladakh one of the most difficult regions to approach in the world. The maximum temperature recorded is 38.4℃ and minimum (-) 28.6℃ at Air Force station, Leh (approximately EL 3505m). Leh is the main district of this region, which has the distinction of being one of the largest districts in India with approximately 1,19,820 sq. km. Ladakh has a unique and rich cultural heritage. Tourism and agriculture are the main occupations of the region. The position of power in this region is in such a pathetic condition that people crave for electricity for even meeting their minimum daily needs. The high altitude, poor accessibility and lack of infrastructure facilities have stalled the development of the region. National Hydroelectric Power Corporation has now stepped into the region to be the best of friends. The need to write this paper arose out of the concern for highlighting the essentiality of clean power for this region where the demand for power has gone to an alarming extent and the present system of generating power from diesel generators polluting the region has to be supplemented. The local populace shares the view point of NHPC and is also convinced that the project will bring prosperity and socio-economic development of the Ladakh region. Though the topic has a wide spectrum, the paper restricts to highlighting the engineering, socio-economic and environmental aspects of the Nimoo Bazgo hydroelectric project. The project site is located near village Alchi that is about 70 km from Leh by road. Along the river course it is about 20 km D/S of confluence of river Indus with River Zanskar. The proposed project (3 x 15 MW) is a run of the river scheme to harness the potential of river Indus. The project involves construction of 57 m high concrete dam with surface powerhouse at toe. The paper finally stresses on the need to develop such remote parts of the country with vital infrastructure so that India emerges as a developed nation.