Bhawanipatana: After a long wait of over 21 years, Indravati Upper Hydropower Generation project will finally bring the villages of three blocks from darkness to light. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated the project in the presence of State Energy Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra through a virtual conference at Baner under Jaipatna block Friday.
In the first phase, 25,000 people in Jaypatna block will be provided electricity from five 33/12 KV grids under 220/132/33 KV grid at Banore.
In the next phase, people in Junagarh, Dharmagarh, Golamunda blocks will get the benefits.
Expressing his happiness over inauguration of the power project Naveen said, “It’s a great day for the people of Kalahandi. I am very happy that three blocks of the district will be provided electricity from the project,”
State Energy Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra said that the state government has been working to develop Kalahandi into a leading district.“Over 1.5 lakh people will get electricity if electricity supply from UIHP is ensured in a phased manner,” he added.
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It may be noted here that the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) had set up a power generation project at Mukhiguda under Jaipatna block of Kalahandi in 1999 but thousands of people living in 16 villages in the cut-off areas of the district were deprived of electricity.
There were no power supply, drinking water, communication, and health and education facilities in the villages of Junagarh, Dharmagarh, Golamunda blocks. Their long wait is finally over as the project will provide electricity to people in three blocks in the first phase of the project.
A happy denizen of Dharmagarh block expressed, “With power generation the project will also provide us help for doing agricultural and industrial activities. He also said that the people of the three blocks will get electricity for 24 hours from the project”.
PNN