Workshop bridges geology, engineering

A six-day advanced technical workshop on “Earth, Water and Power” concluded on Saturday at the Antarnirman Complex of Yog Manav Vikas Trust (YMVT), Banikhet, in Chamba.

Organised annually by the Dr Dhawan Academy of Geologists, Noida, this year’s edition brought together 35 hydropower engineers and geologists from across India, including from Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal and Madhya Pradesh.

The workshop was led by two stalwarts of the sector — Balraj Joshi, former Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of National Hydro Power Corporation, and Dr Gopal Dhawan, former CMD of Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd, Nagpur. Drawing from their decades of experience, they guided participants through the geological and hydro-engineering complexities involved in constructing critical hydropower infrastructure such as dams, tunnels, powerhouses, shafts and auxiliary systems.

Participants benefitted from daily field visits to the Chamera Dam and Powerhouse, gaining practical exposure to real-world geological issues encountered during the project’s construction and operation since it began functioning in 1992.