Chandigarh, February 24:
Punjab Water Resources Department on Wednesday signed an agreement with M/s OMIL JV for the construction of Power Houses of Shahpurkandi Dam Project. It was signed in the presence of Punjab Water Resources Minister Mr. Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Principal Secretary Water Resources Mr. Sarvjit Singh by the Executive Director of M/s OMIL JV Mr. Bharat Kothari and Chief Engineer Dams, Punjab Mr. SK Saluja.
The Water Resources Minister said that the construction of power houses shall be taken up in the month of March, 2021 by M/s OMIL JV at an awarded cost of Rs. 621 crore on EPC mode. The completion period for this work is 36 months. The installed capacity of these Power Houses is 206 MW (PH-I 3x33MW PH-II 3x33MW+1x8MW). The Electromechanical Works of these power houses are already being executed by BHEL through PSPCL. On completion, the Shahpurkandi Dam project shall generate 1042 MU annually worth of Rs.415 crore, he added.
The Shahpurkandi Dam project would go a long way to further improve the irrigation system and clean power generation in the state, said Mr. Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, while adding that the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government was executing the work of Shahpurkandi dam on war footing by giving it highest priority. The work of the project is going on in full swing and almost 60% work of the Main Dam has already been executed, he added.
Principal Secretary Water Resources Mr. Sarvjit Singh said that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, GoI, New Delhi and National Wildlife Board, New Delhi have recently accorded the requisite Forest Clearance and Wildlife clearance for area falling on J&K side as such we are planning to take up the work on J&K side also in the month of March, so that the project is completed timely benefiting 37000 Hectares area in Punjab and J&K state besides other benefits.
On completion, this prestigious project of the state will also allow Ranjit Sagar Dam to run as peaking station giving additional benefit of more than Rs.100 crore annually, besides increasing tourism potential in the border districts of Punjab and J&K Kathua area, said the Chief Engineer, Dams, Mr. Saluja. The event was also attended by Chief Engineer, Design WRD Chandigarh Mr. NK Jain and Chief Engineer Canals-2 Mr. RS Buttar besides other senior officials from Shahpurkandi Dam project.
