Standing Technical Committee formed to address geological surprises in Indian hydroelectric projects
5 October 2023
The Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), and Geological Survey of India (GSI) have joined forces to create a Standing Technical Committee to tackle challenges posed by geological surprises in hydroelectric projects across India.
The decision to establish the Standing Technical Committee comes in response to concerns regarding delays and cost overruns experienced in hydroelectric projects due to geological uncertainties and constraints. The Technical Economic Concurrence, issued by the CEA, states that hydroelectric project developers must maintain records of geological surprises they encounter and seek approval from the Ministry of Power to form an Expert Committee composed of representatives from State Governments, GSI, Central Water Commission (CWC), and CEA.
To streamline this process and avoid the need to establish separate Expert Committees for each instance, the Standing Technical Committee has been formed. The committee's primary objective is to investigate and make recommendations regarding additional time and costs incurred when geological surprises arise during hydroelectric projects.
The Standing Technical Committee is composed of key members, including:
- Chairman: Member (Hydro), CEA
- Member: Chief Engineer (HPM), CEA
- Member: Chief Engineer (HPA), CEA
- Member: A representative of Geological Survey of India
- Member: A representative of Central Water Commission
- Member(s): One representative each from the concerned State Governments (to be requested as needed)
- Member Secretary: Director (HPM), CEA
The Committee's main responsibilities, outlined in its Terms of Reference, are as follows:
- To study and analyze geological surprises encountered in hydroelectric projects and provide recommendations.
- To evaluate the additional time required due to geological surprises.
- To assess and scrutinize proposals for increased costs resulting from geological surprises, submitted by hydro developers to the Committee.
Project developers are expected to cooperate fully with the Committee, providing the necessary assistance for their studies and vetting. The Committee will prepare bi-annual reports for review by the Ministry of Power. It also retains the option to include additional members as necessary for specific cases. The precise procedures following the receipt of proposals will be established by the Committee during its initial meeting.
