PM lays foundation stone of Dibang MHP

ITANAGAR, 9 Mar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the NHPC’s 2,880 MW Dibang Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project (MHP) from here on Saturday, in the presence of Governor KT Parnaik, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, and others.

The MHP is located near Munli village in Lower Dibang Valley district. It is envisaged to have a 278-metre-high dam, which will be the highest concrete gravity dam of India.

The dam is planned to be constructed with roller compacted concrete (RCC) technique, and it will be the highest RCC dam in the world.

“The Dibang dam aims to place a peak of above 5 lakhs cubic metres of concrete in one month, which will be the first in the world,” the NHPC informed in a release.

“The project will annually generate 11,223 million units of hydropower, which is clean and green energy and will be fed into the northern grid, it said, adding that “the project has a construction period of 108 months and is scheduled to be commissioned in February 2032.”

“The project has potential of direct employment of 500 people during construction phase and 300 during operation. Further, the project will provide indirect employment of 5,000 people during construction phase and 500 during operation phase,” the release stated.

 “The MHP will entitle 12 percent free power and additional power for local area development fund of the state. It is expected to enable the state and the country to achieve the journey towards net zero targets,” it said.

“It is designed as a storage project with flood moderation as one of the key objectives, besides power generation.

“For the purpose of flood moderation, a capacity of 1,282.60 million cubic metres will be created by keeping the reservoir below the full reservoir level in monsoon,” the NHPC informed.