Srinagar, Apr 6: The Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to revive the historic Mohra Power Project, the country’s oldest hydroelectric power project, located near the Line of Control in Baramulla district.
The Mohra Power House has remained defunct since the early 1990s.J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds charge of the Power Department, informed the J&K Assembly last week that the Board of Directors of the J&K State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) has initiated the process for the revival of the 10.5 MW Mohra Hydroelectric Project.
He said that during its 97th meeting held on February 9, the Board discussed the revival of the project and passed resolutions to move forward with the plan. The Board approved the floating of a Limited Tender Enquiry (LTE) to engage a Transaction Advisor from firms empanelled with the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) for renovation, modernization, upgradation, and operation and maintenance (RM&OM) of the project.
The Board also authorized the Managing Director of JKSPDC to finalize the Terms of Reference, develop the evaluation framework, constitute a tender committee, and approve and issue the award to the selected Transaction Advisor.
The Chief Minister stated that JKSPDC has already initiated the process in line with the Board’s decision.
Commissioned in 1902, the Mohra Power Project, a run-of-the-river scheme at Boniyar in Uri sector, was once the backbone of electricity supply in Jammu and Kashmir, with an initial generation capacity of 9 MW.
For nearly five decades, it remained the only major source of electricity in the region. The project also featured an 11-kilometre-long wooden flume constructed by German engineers, which has now mostly disappeared.
The powerhouse suffered major damage during the devastating Uri floods in September 1992 and has remained defunct since then. Over the years, several committees constituted by the Power Development Department recommended its restoration, describing it as one of the cheapest sources of power generation in the region. The power project was later declared a heritage site.
UNI
