Himachal: River diversion completed at Shongtong project

The river diversion work of the Shongtong hydropower project has been completed and other works, including completion of the barrage, will be finished shortly, officials of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) informed a Cabinet sub-committee on Wednesday.

The officials made a detailed presentation on the progress of the 450 MW project at a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee chaired by Revenue and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi. They said 81.91 per cent of the feeder tunnel construction had been completed and hydro-mechanical works had commenced.

HPPCL Managing Director Abid Hussain Sadiq said the corporation had set a target to commission one unit of the project by December 2026. He added that key milestones had been achieved, including the widening of three vertical pressure shafts and completion of Unit-I of the powerhouse. Expressing satisfaction over the progress, Negi directed the officials to expedite work on the Lippa hydropower project as well.