Chairman Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali, while inaugurating the 1.5 MW Biaras Small Hydro Power Project at Drass in the district, on Wednesday said that the government is keen to harness the hydroelectric and solar energy potential of Kargil district to make the area self-sufficient in terms of power production.

The project has been executed by Kargil Renewable Energy Development Agency (KREDA) under the funding of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy at a cost of Rs. 17 crore and is catering to the power requirements of around 1500 households in Drass town and adjoining villages including Mushkow valley, Holiyal, Murad Bagh, Goshan, Bearass besides other hamlets in the area.

After inaugurating the power project, he said the present regime is fully conscious of the growing power requirements of the people and keeping this in mind, a number of projects in the district are in the pipeline.

Haji Anayat said that work on 1.5 MW SHP Sangrah, 1.5 MW SHP Khandi, 1 MW SHP Chillung and other projects is in full swing while as two new projects have been identified at Umba and Barsoo Nallah under the Prime Minister’s Development Programme (PMDP).

Ali said that projects at Mizat and Umba and other projects at BarsooNallah are in the DPR stage, while as their pre-feasibility report has been prepared and submitted to the concerned quarters.

Referring to other Hydel and Solar projects, the Chairman said that survey process for construction of three 25 MW hydel projects in the district is being carried out by the Power Development Corporation (PDC).

Ali said under PMDP the tendering process of 7MW solar power projects including 3MW at Yurbaltak, 1 MW each at Drass, Sankoo and Zanskar has been completed and work on these projects is slated to be kick-started early next year.

He said that 5000 home lighting systems have also been sanctioned for the district under PMDP which already stands tendered by JAKEDA.

The Chairman exhorted the officers and technical staff of KREDA to work in close coordination with the PDD authorities, electricity coordination committees besides people to make judicious use of power so that the project is run in the best possible manner.