Jammu: Believe it or not, hundreds of villages in Reasi, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu division- ‘goldmine’for the successive state governments and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to collect revenue through power generation annually - are yet to be electrified.
The people living in remote villages of the four hilly districts have not benefitted from the major power projects (existing and upcoming) on the Chenab that passes through the districts.
Sources said the three major power projects on the Chenab, including the 450-MW Baglihar-II hydropower project (to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 7), were producing about 2,000 MW of electricity.
The megapower projects, which will be developed in these four districts, will generate nearly 5500 MW of additional power.
“On September 30, around 3.56 lakh houses in 106 villages of Jammu and Kashmir were without electricity and most of these houses were in far-flung and remote villages of Reasi, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts, besides mountainous districts of the Kashmir valley. It is still a distant dream for villagers in these four districts to have the light of fluorescent bulbs in their houses,” a source said.
A senior official of the district administration in Kishtwar said the people of the remote Marwah, Warwan and Dachan areas were still without electricity while hundreds of areas in these districts, including the far-flung Paddar area, were partially electrified.
“There are 42 unelectrified and 353 partially electrified villages in Kishtwar, while the number of unelectrified habitations is over 1,000. There are 321 partially electrified areas in the district,” the officer said.
Similarly, hundreds of areas in the other three districts, through which the Chenab passes, are without electricity.
“The real stakeholders of all major power projects on the Chenab are the people of these districts as they have been bearing the brunt of environmental concerns attached to these projects. The successive regimes and the NHPC have generated millions of crores from these projects but the benefit has not flown back to the people as they are still spending their nights in complete darkness,” the official said.
The Chenab is already having 690 MW Salal hydroelectric power project in Reasi, 390 MW Dulhasti hydroelectric power project in Kishtwar and 900 MW Baglihar hydroelectric power project in Ramban.
The power projects coming up on the river are Sawalkote I&II (1200 MW), Kirthai-I (240MW), Kiru (600 MW), Ratle (850 MW), Awar (520 MW), Pakul Dul (1000 MW) and Bursar (1020 MW).
Environmentalists and geologists have expressed concern over the increasing number of major power projects in the four districts. They have said that the seismic-fragile region was facing a threat of severe climate change.
Torrential rain, cloudbursts and massive landslides are said to be the new dangers confronting the people of erstwhile Doda and Reasi districts due to creation of reservoirs following constructions of dams.
The people living in remote villages of the four hilly districts have not benefitted from the major power projects (existing and upcoming) on the Chenab that passes through the districts.
Sources said the three major power projects on the Chenab, including the 450-MW Baglihar-II hydropower project (to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 7), were producing about 2,000 MW of electricity.
The megapower projects, which will be developed in these four districts, will generate nearly 5500 MW of additional power.
“On September 30, around 3.56 lakh houses in 106 villages of Jammu and Kashmir were without electricity and most of these houses were in far-flung and remote villages of Reasi, Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts, besides mountainous districts of the Kashmir valley. It is still a distant dream for villagers in these four districts to have the light of fluorescent bulbs in their houses,” a source said.
A senior official of the district administration in Kishtwar said the people of the remote Marwah, Warwan and Dachan areas were still without electricity while hundreds of areas in these districts, including the far-flung Paddar area, were partially electrified.
“There are 42 unelectrified and 353 partially electrified villages in Kishtwar, while the number of unelectrified habitations is over 1,000. There are 321 partially electrified areas in the district,” the officer said.
Similarly, hundreds of areas in the other three districts, through which the Chenab passes, are without electricity.
“The real stakeholders of all major power projects on the Chenab are the people of these districts as they have been bearing the brunt of environmental concerns attached to these projects. The successive regimes and the NHPC have generated millions of crores from these projects but the benefit has not flown back to the people as they are still spending their nights in complete darkness,” the official said.
The Chenab is already having 690 MW Salal hydroelectric power project in Reasi, 390 MW Dulhasti hydroelectric power project in Kishtwar and 900 MW Baglihar hydroelectric power project in Ramban.
The power projects coming up on the river are Sawalkote I&II (1200 MW), Kirthai-I (240MW), Kiru (600 MW), Ratle (850 MW), Awar (520 MW), Pakul Dul (1000 MW) and Bursar (1020 MW).
Environmentalists and geologists have expressed concern over the increasing number of major power projects in the four districts. They have said that the seismic-fragile region was facing a threat of severe climate change.
Torrential rain, cloudbursts and massive landslides are said to be the new dangers confronting the people of erstwhile Doda and Reasi districts due to creation of reservoirs following constructions of dams.
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