United Nations

Details of the Mini Hydel Scheme are as follows:

The project involves implementation and operation of a 6.25 MW Small Hydroelectric grid connected with the renewable energy project on right bank of Cauvery river about 2 Km upstream of the Sattegala bridge in District Chamarajanagar (Karnataka, India) and exporting the generated electricity to the state owned power utility company Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL).

There is a diesel generator of 63 kVA capacity, which was used at the time of construction and the present use of the same is negligible (since the project is run of river and not canal based) compared to the amount of CO2 displacement of the project activity. However, the diesel consumption will be monitored during the whole crediting period.

Environmental well-being:

1. The project utilizes environmentally safe and sound technologies of small-scale hydroelectric power generation and demonstrates harnessing of hydro potential, thus encouraging setting up of similar projects.
2. The project does not create any negative impact on the environment, as there is no submergence or stagnation of water.
3. The project will not have any negative impact on the public health scenario or natural resources of the region.
4. The project reduces GHG emissions which would have taken place in the absence of the project due to generation of the similar proportion of electricity generated by the project from fossil fuel based generating stations.

Social well-being:

1. The project involves no displacement of people living near the project area and hence no rehabilitation and resettlement.
2. The project is implemented in a rural area that does not have proper roads and other infrastructure facilities. Project proponents had constructed a road for approach and other infrastructure facilities in the village as a part of the project construction.
3. The project has led to direct and indirect employment for the local population as the construction and maintenance staff has been drawn from the nearby local areas.
4. More and more rural industries will be set up and new opportunities for development will be created because of the hydroelectric project in the area. This will result in infrastructure development, which ultimately lead to rural development and prevent the migration of rural poor to cities.
5. The project may promote eco tourism in due course.

Economic well-being:

1. The project proponent has invested approximately Rs. 551.637 Million in the project, which is a considerable additional investment in rural area, which would not have happened otherwise, in the absence of the project activity.
2. The project activity leads to alleviation of poverty by generating direct and indirect employment during its construction and operation. The mini Hydel scheme created direct employment opportunities totally for more than 200 people during the construction. The project provides an additional source of income for the local poor people by providing employment amounting to an investment of Rs.90,00,000/- during the construction period as salaries / wages for construction workers, mostly rural poor people, which otherwise would not happen in the absence of the project. In addition, the project creates direct permanent employment for about 20 people during operation of the plant. This translates into an investment of about Rs.6,00,000/- per year.
3. The project will bring in additional investment to the region due to increased earnings of residents creating increased demand.

Technological well-being:

1. The project makes use of efficient environmentally safe technology for power generation.
2. The generation of electricity from the project leads to strengthening of the grid, increasing the energy availability and quality of power in the nearby rural areas thereby meeting the energy demand to a certain extent leading to technological well-being.

For more information on this project, please click here and for more information on its social benefits, please click here.