4,371-mw hydro power addition goal in 12th Plan may slip

The planned hydro power generation capacity addition of 4,371 mw out of a total target of 10,897 mw in the 12th Plan (2012-17) will not be completed in the policy period or by March 31, 2017, Parliament was informed today. "Based on the current status of works, out of 12th Plan hydro capacity addition target of 10,897 mw, capacity aggregating 4,371 mw is slipping, and 930 mw capacity is critical to commissioning during the 12th Plan," Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. "Based on the current status of projects, the likely capacity addition during the 12th Plan is 6,755 mw." The factors for this slippage include disruption of works by locals, delay in regulatory clearance, land acquisition issues and poor geology.

Replaying to a query whether NITI Aayog has recently conducted a survey on revival of hydro-power projects across the country in which a large amount has been invested, the minister replied in the negative.