Fresh troubles for NTPC’s Nagpur project
A fresh hurlde has come in the way of power major NTPC, which is setting up the Mouda thermal project near Nagpur.
The latest trouble is uncertainty over water supply from the Gosikhurd dam. As a result, the commissioning of the first unit of 500 MW, planned for June 2012, could get delayed.
Ups and downs
NTPC is setting up the 2,320-MW project using indigenous coal at Mouda village with an estimated investment of about Rs 16,500 crore.
In the last two and half years, the project has seen its ups and downs, affecting the pace of project implementation. It had to face issues like ‘stop work notice’ from the District Collector and giving additional compensation to farmers, whose land was acquired for the project.
The company has an agreement with the Maharashtra Government for drawing water from the dam, which has a design height of 241 meters. Water charges for NTPC have been fixed by the State Government.
According to officials, a system for drawing water from the dam, if it filled till 239 meters is under construction but the State Government is now saying that it cannot store water in the dam beyond 237 m. If dam authorities fill the dam to the full capacity (241 m) then four villages near the catchment area will get inundated, the official said.
In effect, the plant cannot draw water from the dam unless the system is reconfigured to draw water at 237 meters. Meanwhile, expensive pumps have already been ordered under a tender to draw water from 239 meters, and this mismatch is delaying the project.
