This is a clip from Shri Piyush Goyal's speech at the CNBC TV18 Save Energy Conclave. Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do660aHtpjg
Shri Piyush Goyal outlines the challenges to scaling up India's hydropower sector. He talks about the high interest rates of stalled projects becoming a burden on the people of India.
Shri Goyal points to the Subansiri Hydro Project as an example of how Assam has been deprived of low cost hydropower, due to the project being stalled by vested interests whose arguments lack a sound technological footing. Being stalled for over five years, the project incurs loss of almost a billion dollars (Rs. 6000 crore) and over Rs. 10 crore per day. If it had been completed on schedule, the project would have generated power at Rs 1.86/unit for the people of North East. Assam would have got 500 MW, fulfilling the state's entire power requirement. Due to being stalled, people of Assam have been deprived of low cost clean energy.
The Hon' Minister also spoke on how the Narendra Modi government has revived Teesta hydropower project, another stalled project that had over Rs. 9000 crore already invested.
Taking charge in 2014, the disputes and disarray in the project were swiftly resolved, and before the end of 2016, the project will be operational. Before the end of this fiscal, Teesta Project will start generating about 1200 MW of hydro power.
