Power generation from 280 MW Dhauliganga Hydro electric schemes of NHPC, at Chirkila in Dharchula sub division of Pithoragarh district has come to a complete stop due to heavy rains.
The generation has been halted due to the power house and the dam of the project coming under heavy silt due to rains that lashed the area for 72 hours from June 15 onwards.
“We are losing 67 lakh units of electricity per day from June 16 onwards, and this loss might go on for long as the repairing works cannot be started even in immediate future as approach roads to our power house and dam have gone fully washed away,” said Sudheer Kumar Jain, General manager of the project.
According to Jain, rains have damaged eight residential blocks of the project at Tapovan near Dharchula where river Kali swept was in spate.
“All belongings of 26 families of our employees in 56 quarters of 8 blocks have been swept away by strong wave of river Kali on the day due to heavy rains on the day”, he said.
“It was peak month for electricity generation from the project as the water flow in the river remains the maximum in these months. We have not only lost electricity generation for months from now, but also incurred heavy losses on the part of our infrastructure,” Jain added.