India has approved its largest-ever hydropower project worth $3.9 billion in the mountainous northeastern region bordering China.
The government approved the estimated investment of 319 billion rupees ($3.9 billion) for the 2,880-megawatt Dibang project in Arunachal Pradesh, state-run hydropower producer NHPC Ltd. said Monday. The project is estimated to take nine years to complete.
State-owned NHPC, which received approval from the government for expenditure on pre-investment activities and various clearances, will build the 2,880-megawatt Dibang project in Arunachal Pradesh.
Dibang, which will be built over more than 5,000 hectares (12,360 acres) of forest land, faces similar risks, according to Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator for nonprofit South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People. The company’s nine-year timeline is optimistic when accounting for potential delays because of local protests and geological difficulties, he said.
“The cost is going to be much higher and benefits much lower,” Thakkar said. “There’s really no viability for such projects.”
