Deesu, (Anantnag), Nov 04 (KNO): Construction work on a 3-megawatt hydropower project is underway in the Dessu Daksum area of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Once completed, the project is expected to generate power for around 3,000 to 3,500 households.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the construction company has already completed the laying of approximately 800 metres of the pipeline required for the project, and the remaining 400 metres are expected to be completed within the next two to three weeks.
After construction, the project will operate round the clock in three shifts, providing employment to 30 to 35 workers per shift.
Ghulam Hassan Dekka, a local, said, “We have been working here for some time. This power project will benefit the local population a lot because this is a poor and far-flung area.”
Dekka said there is no harm from this project. "Many labourers are working here. Such projects are the need of the hour," he added.
Another local said they had to face a lot of difficulties during winter and power curtailment, and now they are expecting 24-hour electricity. “Electricity is important in this modern era. The water bodies should be used for these projects, and after generating electricity, the same water can be used again," he said.
Junaid Mohammad Makroo, Managing Director, Kashmir Valley Energy Private Limited, told KNO, “This is a 3 megawatt power project which we have taken from the Jammu & Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA), and with overload capacity, it will function up to 3.6 megawatt. We have already laid around 800 metres of pipeline, and the remaining 400 metres will be completed within the next 2 to 3 weeks.”
He said that at present, around 150 local workers are engaged in this project. “Once construction is completed and the plant reaches the commissioning and operational phase, around 30 to 35 people will work in each shift, and the plant will operate in three shifts round the clock," Makroo said
The MD said the major benefit of this project is electricity generation for the government, and equally important is the employment it provides. "Local people working with us will learn new skills and will be able to enhance their capabilities for future opportunities as well," he said. "Labour here is mostly local; only specialised skilled labour has been hired from outside where necessary."
Makroo added, “This project becomes a national asset. Such projects usually operate under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, ‘Build-Operate-Transfer’ (BOT), where a private entity builds and operates the project for a fixed term, after which it is handed over to the government."
The Managing Director said they have received full support from the government, whether it is No Objection Certificates, allotments, or coordination with security forces and departments.
"This hydro project will generate electricity sufficient for around 3,000 to 3,500 households annually," he said, adding that hydropower is clean energy, and unlike thermal power projects, it does not pollute the atmosphere and does not rely on coal.
"During construction, there are challenges and hard work involved, but we expect that within one and a half months, subject to weather, the project will be in the commissioning phase," the MD said. "Government norms allow 36 months, but we are close to completing this project in just 17 months, almost a year ahead of schedule due to day-and-night efforts."—(KNO)