Shongtong-Karcham gets 2026 deadline, HP bets big on hydro
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
has set a firm Nov 2026 deadline for the completion of the long-delayed Shongtong-Karcham hydroelectric project, saying the 450-MW plant will generate Rs 1,000 crore in annual revenue and strengthen the state's green energy ambitions.
Sukhu on Monday inspected the under-construction site in Kinnaur district — visiting both the power house at Karcham and the barrage site at Powari — where he met engineers and workers. He said that even though the project had dragged on for 13 years, the state's current Congress govt had fast-tracked its progress and was committed to commissioning it on schedule. "This project symbolises our focus on tapping river resources to drive economic growth," Sukhu said, adding that the state was moving actively to regain control over stalled or externally-managed hydroelectric initiatives.
He claimed that the govt was assessing the total expenditure incurred on other major hydropower projects — including Dhaulasidh, Luhri, and Sunni — with plans to resume and regulate their construction under state-led terms. "Unlike the previous BJP govt, which compromised state interests, we are prioritising Himachal Pradesh's control over its energy assets," Sukhu said. The CM also announced that HP was advancing plans for a geothermal power facility at Tapri in Kinnaur and expanding its capacity in solar and green hydrogen energy.
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Despite being an energy-surplus state, HP still buys electricity from neighbouring states during winter for Rs 5 to 6 a unit. Sukhu said the state was ramping up solar-energy generation to offset this seasonal gap. "It has 626 MW worth of solar-power projects in various stages of development currently through the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL)," he said. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and senior district officials accompanied Sukhu during the site visit.
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