KOLLAM: The first hydroelectric power generation project across the Pamba river at Poonthenaruvi in Pathanamthitta will be dedicated to the country on Monday. The 6 megawatt smallscale hydel project having two generators of 3 MW each will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the presence of the minister for electricity M. M. Mani at a function to be held at the power house at 3 pm. This is the fourth such project owned by the KSEB in the district. KSEB expects a total production of 25.77 million units of electricity from the project per year.
The project that has been completed using pre-engineered building technology includes a check dam 240 metres long and 7 metres in height, a canal 462 metres long, forebay tank which has a width of 22 metres, two penstocks having a length of 13 metres and width of 3.2 metres. The reservoir of the dam also ensures availability of water for the pump house installed by the Kerala Water Authority to carry water to Erumeli. A total of 1.4492 hectares of private land and 6.4795 hectares of forest land has been acquired for constructing the hydroelectric power plant.
The KSEB, in lieu of acquiring forest land in Poonthenaruvi has purchased private land having an area of 6.7297 hectares in Kozhikkode and handed it over to the forest department. The project, which is the first one in the Pamba River flowing through Pathanamthitta, has been completed at a total cost of Rs. 49.49 crore.
