The continued delay in completing the 520 Megawatts Tapovan Vishnugad hydro electricity project in Chamoli district has raised concerns among the locals and environmentalists regarding the functioning of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) limited implementing this project on Dhauliganga River.

Among the projects aimed at making Uttarakhand self reliant in the sphere of power generation, work on the Tapovan Vishnugad project was started in 2005-2006. However, about a decade after the work was started, the corporation has not yet been able to complete the construction work. This project has also been eliciting focus since its start due to the employment for locals and other issues raised by the public.

However, the local public was galvanised into agitating against the NTPC limited in the past following seepage of water after tunneling work.

At present, the locals and environmentalists are also concerned about the tunneling work being left incomplete by the corporation. Work on the tunneling has not been resumed for about three years now. The company executing the tunneling work had withdrawn from the work without completing the construction. It was being reported at that time that loose composition was presenting problems in the tunneling. The tunnel boring machine had also got stuck in the under construction tunnel.

When this correspondent contacted the NTPC limited PRO AK Ghildiyal on the phone, the official also acknowledged that the construction work for the project should have been completed by now. However, the completion of construction is being delayed due to various factors.

Environmentalists have already been warning thatincomplete tunneling could cause land subsidence and pose a threat to areas near the tunnel area. It remains to be seen whether the pending work is completed without further delays.