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News of Jan
4, 2007
Kashmir Generating
only 10% of Hydropower Potential
By Binoo Joshi
Jammu, Jan 4
Despite a potential to produce 14,000 MW of hydro power, Jammu and
Kashmir produces only 10 percent of it though the state continues to
reel under severe power shortage, says a report. Electric gadgets
have been reduced to showpieces in the state where the winter chill
has set in and residents complain that they did not have power even
during the Muslim festival of Eid on Jan 1.
This dismal power scenario in Jammu and Kashmir becomes even worse
given the fact that water flows in plenty in its rivers - Chenab,
Jhelum and Indus and several rivers and tributaries of these massive
rivers - having the potential to generate 14,000 MW of power.
"But only about 10 percent of this has been exploited so far," a
report of the Task Force on Development of Jammu and Kashmir that
was submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has pointed out.
Jammu and Kashmir has 14 hydroelectric power stations in operation
with total installed capacity of 1,474 MW. Of this, only 304 MW is
generated under the state sector and 1,170 MW under the central
sector. The major hydro electric projects - Salal and Uri - are with
the National Hydroelectric Power Corp. The state has control over
lower Jhelum, Chenani and other small projects.
The task force, headed by former Reserve Bank of India governor C.
Rangarajan, observed: "The reasons are restrictions imposed by the
Indus Waters Treaty (with Pakistan), the high capital costs which
reduce viability of the projects, the difficult terrain and scarcity
of resources."
The state government's economic advisor Haseeb Drabu, who was a
member of the task force, has contributed to bringing out the
economic picture of the state that has suffered hugely in the past
two decades of turmoil. The report was submitted to the prime
minister last week.
The 1960 India-Pakistan Indus Waters Treaty is regarded as "the
worst thing to have happened to the state of Jammu and Kashmir".
"This is the one treaty that has put our state to greatest
disadvantage. We have no right over our own waters," regretted state
Finance and Planning Minister Tariq Hameed Karra. The "treaty is
discriminatory", Karra told IANS.
Under the treaty, India has all the rights of water utilization of
three rivers - Ravi, Beas and Satluj -, while Pakistan has oversight
rights over three other rivers - Chenab, Jhelum and Indus -, all of
which flow through Jammu and Kashmir. For each project, whether
power or irrigation, proper clearance from Pakistan has to be
sought.
Pakistan has also the right to monitor the use of waters of these
rivers any time.
The Baglihar hydel project in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir is
feeling the pain of the treaty. Pakistan has raised several
objections and the matter is now pending with a World Bank-appointed
expert.
But that is not the only woe of the state.
"The power sector of Jammu and Kashmir is characterized by huge
revenue losses, structural supply-demand gaps, weak infrastructure
and high transmission and distribution losses."
Jammu and Kashmir has one of the highest percentages of transmission
and distribution losses (including unaccounted energy) among the
northern region states. The task force has come out with startling
revelations in this regard.
"The aggregated transmission and commercial losses during 2003-04
and 2004-05 were as high as 67 percent and 68 percent respectively."
How it affects life in winters, the task force has succinctly
answered it.
"The state's demand peaks during the winter months, but the state's
energy generation, largely hydel, falls during the same period.
Jammu and Kashmir then becomes heavily dependent on support from its
share of central sector power which too is not sufficient to meet
its winter power requirements."
DPA
News of Jan
4, 2007
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