Comments
NTPC will install early warning systems in its projects located in Hill States prone to natural disasters, Union Power Minister RK Singh said on his return from an on-the-spot assessment of the State-run power producer’s damaged hydel project at Tapovan on Monday.
He also announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh each to the families of deceased NTPC workers in the avalanche.
Uttarakhand floods: Power Minister asks NTPC top management to travel to hydropower plant sites
‘Saved by barrage’
Singh, talking to reporters at the Jollygrant airport on his way back to Delhi, said the snow slide that triggered a deluge in the Rishi Ganga river on Sunday was huge but the barrage built at the NTPC project bore the brunt of it and helped save villages downstream from massive devastation.
Understanding a Himalayan tragedy
“The private hydel project in Rishi Ganga was totally washed away while NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project also suffered major damage but owing to the solid structure of its barrage, the torrents of muddy water and silt could not cause much damage to villages located downstream,” Singh said.
However, drawing lessons from the calamity it has been decided to install early warning systems in NTPC projects in all Hill States that are vulnerable to natural disasters like avalanches, he said.
A team of NTPC, THDC and SJVNL officials will visit the project site to ascertain the causes behind the damage done on the basis of ISRO images.
He also said people of the flood-hit villages will be given a chance to work in NTPC projects if they want.
Earlier, after inspecting the project site in Tapovan, Singh said the loss had been estimated at ₹1,500 crore .
NTPC group records highest-ever power generation on January 18
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.