Jammu, Dec 1 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir is planning to set up 310 hydro-electric projects in the state to meet its power needs ove the next 20 years, a government official said Tuesday.
The initiative is part of a plan to overcome the power crisis in the state, which is estimated to have a potential to generate 20,000 MW of electricity annually.

“The state government has identified about 310 hydro-electric projects, out of which 64 will be taken up in the first phase,” said a senior state government official after a meeting with the union Power Secretary H.S. Brahma.

The meeting was held to review Jammu and Kashmir’s power sector against the backdrop of its acute energy shortage, which is primarily due to the state government’s failure to collect tariff and tap the state’s hydropower potential.

“Power projects of above 200 MW capacity are being allotted to NHPC (the state-run National Hydroelectric Power Corp) whereas mini-hydel power projects will be executed through institutional power promoters (IPP) and local companies,” the official said.

Brahma asked the state government to execute the perspective power generation and transmission plan for meeting the state’s needs for the next 20 years.

Stressing on time-bound execution, he also called for switching over to energy-efficiency norms to conserve electricity.

Brahma also asked the state’s power development department to complete formalities for allotment of the 64 new hydel power projects by December-end.