Much awaited power to see the light of day

by P.Krishnaswamy

The much-awaited and sorely needed power for the national grid from the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project (UKHP) will be commissioned next week, Project director Shavindranath Fernando told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Initially one machine generating 75 MW power and the second generating another 75 MW power, will be commissioned after two months adding 150 MW power to the national grid, he said.

Although the project was due to be launched in the 1980s, it never saw the light of the day due to political expediency and various other reasons, until President Mahinda Rajapaksa took the bold decision in 2005 to proceed with construction work of the project.

All intricate aspects of the Japanese-funded Rs.40 billion project have been minutely examined before it is commissioned soon, Shavindranath Fernando said.

The project was meticulously planned and executed to adequately address all concerns regarding environment, bio-diversity, displacement of families and the preservation of the landscape and its natural beauty, he said.

The test-filling of the reservoir was completed in December last year, followed by its connection to the national grid and a test run. The Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) of Japan funded the conceptual design, environmental impact assessment and the final design.

The project was completed under several phases. The project has the longest mountain tunnel in the country-13 kilometres.

Four-hundred and ninety-five families, mostly plantation Tamils, who were displaced under the project have been resettled in modern housing units with compensation and livelihood facilities, the Project Director said.