Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project

State-run hydropower company NHPC Ltd. Will soon start trial runs for the Subansiri Lower project.

About Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project:

• It is the biggest hydroelectric project undertaken in India so far.
• It is a run-of-river scheme on river Subansiri.
• Location: The Project is located near North Lakhimpur on the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
• Capacity:2000MW
• It is a concrete gravity dam 116 m high from river bed level.
• It is being developed by the state-run National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC).

Key facts about the Subansiri River:

• It originates in the Tibet Plateau and is the largest tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• The high topographic variation makes this river a potential zone for harnessing it for the hydropower.

What is a Gravity dam?

• Gravity dams are massive structure dams which are constructed of concrete or stone masonry.
• Concrete gravity dams usually run in a straight line across a broad valley and resist the horizontal thrust of the retained water entirely by their own weight.
• This type of structure is durable and requires very little maintenance