DoE to carry out safety audit of power projects

Kuldeep Chauhan

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Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 7

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today directed the dam safety cell in the Directorate of Energy (DoE) to carry out “safety audit” of each hydropower project, whether it is under construction or operational to ensure adherence to safety standards as prescribed by the Central Water Commission (CWC).

Taking cognizance of the recent mishaps in power projects, both in the private and public sector, the Chief Minister issued fresh direction during review meeting of the Energy Directorate he chaired here today. The meeting was attended by the officials from the HP State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEBL), HP Power Corporation (HPPCL) and HP Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (HPPTC).

The DoE has already appointed Chief Engineer, Dam Safety Unit to oversee the safety audit in each project in the state, said Dr Ajay Sharma, Director, Energy. The Chief Engineer will be assisted by a team of Superintendent Engineer, Executive Engineer besides other staff. The dam safety unit is already seeking compliance report from each project, he added.

Sharma said the dam safety unit will carry out the safety audit of all power projects, big and small in the state. The dam safety engineers will visit each project site of both private and public sector companies, whether the project is under construction or in operation, he added.

The DoE officials said the dam safety unit seeks compliance from the projects under operation every year as per standard operating procedures (SOP) laid down by the CWC and the Central Electricity Authority.

The cell was set up in 2015 after the mishap in the 126 MW Larji power project on the Beas river, in which 24 engineering students from Hyderabad were washed away after the sudden release of water from the Larji barrage on June 8, 2014. With fresh direction from the Chief Minister, the cell will carry out proper audit of all projects.

Managing director, HPCL, DK Sharma said the corporation had a separate team of engineers who undertake safety audit in the under-construction projects in the state. “We seek compliance report from each project as per the CWC’s safety standards”, he added.

The CM’s directive comes in the wake of three mishaps involving death of eight persons, including three engineers, at project sites in 2015. The mishaps had exposed poor safety measures at the project sites and lack of an independent third party safety audit in each project, revealed members of the project engineers association, which took the matter with Chief Minister on several occasions.

The recent mishaps had taken place in private Sorang and HPCL-run Shontong-Karcham, Bhaba power house in Kinnaur, HPSEBL-run Rongtong in Spiti, private Baragaon and Malana-II projects in Kullu, and NHPC-run Parbati-II that prompted for the safety audit of each project, said the DoE engineers.