Agartala, Oct 9 (IANS) Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Friday that the state government has set a target to restore the old Dumboor hydropower plant to generate 10 to 11 MW of electricity, with an investment of Rs 100 crore.
The restoration work of the old project is scheduled to begin in December this year, the Minister said.
Nath announced this while addressing a one-day Community Awareness Programme on Dam Safety at the Gumti Hydro Electric Project in Tirthamukh in southern Tripura’s Gomati district, highlighting the importance of dam safety, preventive measures and the protection of people living in downstream areas.
The Minister said that India enacted a law on dam safety in 2021, noting that the country has more than 7,000 dams.
“But nobody had thought about formulating such a law earlier. Although there is nothing to worry about, a law was framed as a preventive measure, keeping the future in mind. The National Dam Safety Authority is present here, and this is a one-day workshop under its leadership,” Nath said.
He added that the Gumti hydroelectric project was established 56 years ago and is located at Dumboor, where the waters of the Raima and Saima rivers meet.
Nath described the area as being of geographical and historical importance, as it is associated with the source of the Gomati river in Tripura.
“There were three units here and capable of generating 15 MW of power. However, generation gradually declined, and after our (BJP) government came to power, we managed to generate 2 to 3 MW,” the Minister said, explaining the gradual decline in electricity generation at the plant.
Nath told the gathering that the hydropower plant was severely damaged by floods in 2024, affecting its power generation capacity.
Following the damage, a detailed survey was conducted with the assistance of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to assess the condition of the project and explore the possibilities of restoring its generation capacity.
He said that an underwater robot was also brought from Kerala to examine the present condition of the Dumboor Dam and assess the damage to its infrastructure.
“We have already undertaken a plan to generate 10 to 11 MW of power, for which Rs 100 crore will be spent. The work will begin this December,” he said, expressing confidence that the restoration initiative would help revive electricity generation at the project.
The Minister also told that, during the last state Cabinet meeting, a decision was taken to extend Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) network facilities and install mobile towers in areas where mobile network connectivity is unavailable.
He said the initiative was aimed at addressing connectivity problems in remote and network-deprived areas of the state and that the work would begin soon.
“Gomati is the first power generation project in Tripura and a place of historical importance. There are 48 lakes in Dumboor. Apart from power generation, the area has also become a backbone of fish cultivation, and thousands of people depend on it for their livelihoods,” Nath added.
Emphasising the importance of dam safety, the Minister said that the dam safety legislation was enacted under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen monitoring and ensure the safety of dam infrastructure across the country.
He added that regular and mandatory pre-monsoon and post-monsoon inspections of dams are conducted in coordination with officials concerned to assess their condition, identify potential risks and take preventive measures wherever necessary.
“Ensuring the safety of people living downstream is our highest priority,” Nath said, underlining the need for regular monitoring, inter-agency coordination and public awareness to prevent possible disasters associated with dams.
–IANS
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