Prime Minister has dedicated the 60 MW Tuirial Hydro Electric Power Project (HEPP) to the Nation. The Tuirial HEPP has been constructed as a Central Sector Project and implemented by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
Tuirial dam is an earthfill and gravity dam, on the Tuirial River near Kolasib in the state of Mizoram in India. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power production.
Tuirial Hydel Project is the 2nd largest earthen dam and the largest in India. The height of the dam is 97 Metres. The dam has 3 split gates, 2 Turbine and 2 tunnel. Tuirial Hydel Dam has two 30MW Turbine.
The Project is the biggest power project located in the State of Mizoram and will feed the entire energy to be generated to the home State.
The Mizoram’s current demand of electricity is only 87 MW and this is being met by State’s mini power projects and availability of its share of power from central sector projects. With the additional 60 MW of electricity from the project, the State of Mizoram will now be the third power-surplus State in North East India after Sikkim and Tripura.
Apart from attaining self-sufficiency in electric power, the project will fetch other spin-off benefits to the State of Mizoram like employment generation, navigation, water supply, pisciculture and wild life conservation, tourism etc.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared the Project for implementation in July 1998 with commissioning scheduled in July 2006. After completion of about 30% of the project activities, the works were totally suspended w.e.f. June 2004 due to local agitation.
The Project being remotely located, encountered various hindrances ranging from inadequate communication infrastructure to the project site, massive failure of the Power House slopes due to poor soil condition, lack of availability of skilled manpower etc. These factors resulted in comparatively longer gestation period for the project. However, with all efforts from the agencies concerned, the project works were completed successfully, leading to commissioning of Unit-I on 25-08-2017 and Unit-II on 28-11-2017.
The project has been implemented by NEEPCO by engaging M/S Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd for supply and erection of power generating equipment, M/S Patel Engineering Ltd for execution of major civil works and M/S Sew-PES-Tuirial consortium for Hydro-Mechanical works. The Project has been built at a cost of Rs.1302 crore.
In Shillong, the Shillong-Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Tura Road was also inaugurated. This project will improve connectivity and further economic growth. ‘MyDoNER App’ was also launched during the occasion.