Icchampally Project

Icchampalli Project
Location of Icchampalli Project
Location Karimnagar district, Telangana
Coordinates 18°38′04″N 80°19′26″E / 18.63444°N 80.32389°ECoordinates: 18°38′04″N 80°19′26″E / 18.63444°N 80.32389°E
Dam and spillways
Impounds Godavari River


Inchampalli Project is a proposed multipurpose project with hydro electricity generation, irrigation, flood control, etc. benefits on the River Godavari.[1] This project is proposed as joint project of Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh states.[2]

Features

The project location is just downstream of the point where Indravati River joins Godavari river in Karimnagar district of Telangana. The Nizam of erstwhile Hyderabad State made an unsuccessful attempt in the 1920s to build a barrage here whose remnants are still existing. However, this dream is not yet fulfilled. Inchampalli reservoir is proposed with 10,374 million m³ gross storage capacity at Full Reservoir Level (FRL) 112.77 m MSL tentatively. This reservoir would submerge total 926 km2 of land in Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Most of the area to be submerged is forest land. This project is also envisaged with Pumped-storage hydroelectricity features with tail pond downstream of the dam

Interstate Aspects

As per the interstate agreement[3] for Inchampalli joint project, AP, (now Telangana) shall bear 78.1% cost of the dam, land & asset acquisition (including that of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh governments) and rehabilitate the displaced population. But it can draw only 2265 million m³ (80 tmc) from the reservoir and produce 27% of the hydro power. With this, the only option left for Telangana is to plan lift irrigation projects by using water, which is released into the river after utilizing for power generation. The interstate agreement is concluded without fixing the FRL of the reservoir and liberty is accorded to Telangana state to decide the FRL keeping cost and benefits sharing percentage same. The agreed terms would be attractive to Telangana only in case the reservoir capacity is of the order of 1000 tmc. The approximate land submergence is 2000 km2 for 1000 tmc capacity reservoir.

Inchampalli dam site is very favorable to construct dam economically with nearly 1000 tmc[4] storage capacity at FRL 125 m MSL. The river at this point covers nearly 80% of the total catchment’s area[5] with adequate water inflows. This is one of very few sites for locating huge storage reservoir in India similar to Aswan Dam (4600 tmc) in Egypt, Lake Volta (4200 tmc) in Ghana and Three Gorges Dam (1350 tmc) in China. Inchampalli reservoir with FRL 125 m MSL would incur very low cost per tmc water storage after meeting the land acquisition and rehabilitation costs at prevailing market rates. Creation of 1000 tmc storage reservoir at Inchampalli on Godavari River would harness the mighty river water fully ushering India into next phase of green revolution.[6] This reservoir project would also eliminate fully the frequent floods taking place in lower Godavari river basin area in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.[7]

However the erstwhile AP government had tentatively proposed the FRL level 112.77 m MSL fearing some coal deposits would be submerged above this level. The delay in taking up this project is boon in disguise to AP. Presently underground coal gasification technology is very well developed and in commercial use. This technology is used to exploit coal deposits located deep in the underground (600 meters depth & more)the abandoned underground coal mines and also coal deposits located in seabed. The latest technology adopted from oil & gas wells drilling such as serpentine drilling / in seam drilling, guided drilling, bunching of wells, etc. has made in situ coal gasification technology a reliable and commercial proposition. With underground coal gasification technology, the coal deposits (if any), which got submerged under the reservoir water, can be exploited economically.

It would be an economical and time saving proposition if this project is constructed by Telangana first up to 95 m MSL with its full capacity hydro electric station and its submergence area limited to river bed in Maharashtra and Chattishgarh states. Later the height of the dam can be gradually increased to its ultimate height at FRL 126 m MSL with the revenue generated from hydro power generation. Alternatively, Kanthanapally ( 18°27′35″N 80°24′57″E / 18.45972°N 80.41583°E ) hydro electric project across the Godavari river located downstream of Inchampalli dam can be constructed up to FRL 95 m MSL with provision to construct Inchampalli dam up to FRL 126 m MSL in future.[8] The reservoir of Kanthalapalli dam would act as tail pond for the pumped storage hydro units of Inchampalli dam in addition to storing substantial river flood water.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/23/stories/2008012352870300.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/08/stories/2008030857330300.htm
  3. ↑ "Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal final report, (page 52)". 1980. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  4. ↑ Blue Print for Godavari River Water Utilization in Andhra Pradesh
  5. ↑ Godavari basin map
  6. ↑ Brown, Lester R. (November 29, 2013). "India's dangerous 'food bubble'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  7. ↑ "State wise flood damage statistics in India". Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  8. ↑ "P.V.NARSIMHA RAO KANTHANPALLY SUJALASRAVANTHI PROJECT". Retrieved 25 March 2015.