Forest clearance granted for Mandi district’s Thana Plaun hydroelectric power project
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Dream project of Pandit Sukh Ram, his legislator son Anil Sharma
The Newz Radar
Mandi: The Thana Plaun hydroelectric power project, in Thana village of Mandi district, approximately 40 km from the district headquarters, may finally come to fruition, as it has now obtained the eagerly awaited forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change on Thursday.
While the initial phase of the forest clearance had been secured earlier, the final obstacle for this project has also been overcome with Thursday’s approval of the transfer of 406.79 hectares of forest land to HPPCL.
The 191 MW Thana Plaun HEPP was a dream project of Pandit Sukh Ram and his legislator son, Anil Sharma, who consistently exerted efforts to bring the project to fruition.
Speaking to TNR, the jubilant BJP MLA expressed satisfaction with the final forest clearance and anticipated numerous job opportunities for unemployed youth in the Mandi district, in addition to the economic uplift of the local community.
“Today is not only a moment of joy but also an emotional one because my late father envisioned this project many years ago, and I have been consistently working to fulfill his dream. Today, with his blessings and the support of the state government, this project is on the verge of becoming a reality,” he said.
He said that with the forest clearance, the construction of this project will gain momentum. The land acquisition department has been directed to expedite the process for this project, he added. Sharma mentioned that areas directly affected by this project and its surroundings would be allocated a separate budget under the Local Area Development Plan (LADP) for developmental activities, equivalent to one percent of the project’s income.
Sharma expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu for his prompt response in fulfilling all the formalities related to the clearance of the project.
The ambitious project is envisioned as a storage cum run-of-the-river scheme, featuring a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam with a height of 85 metres above the riverbed level. The project, comprising 5 generating units (3X 50.33 MW = 151 MW main and two environmental units (2X20MW=40 MW) totaling 191 MW installed capacity, is proposed to be located on the right bank of the River Beas in Mandi district. The dam site is planned 40 km downstream of Pandoh Dam, and the powerhouse shall be situated just downstream of the toe of the dam. The project is expected to generate 692.61 million units of electricity in a 90% dependable year.
The Thana Plaun Hydro Electric Project has been designed with minimal land acquisition and aims to have minimal socioeconomic impact. Located near Thana village in the Mandi district, the project proposes an 82.50-metre high gravity dam on the River Beas, targeting a reliable annual electricity production of 367.50 million units. The project will impact 709 landowners in 12 villages and requires 432.67 hectares for its activities. Out of this, 24.88 hectares are private land, and the rest are government and forest land.
