Prospect of Small Hydro Power in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is riched with natural renewable resources for generating electricity. As we know that Uttarakhand is about to fully hilly areas. Due to the fully hilly regions, the hydro power available in Uttarakhand can be harnessed by installing the small hydro power plant. The estimated potential of this state for small hydro power plant is more than 1708 MW. The installed capacity of small hydro power is 174.82 MW and under implementation capacity is 174.04 MW. Therefore in this state a large amount of small hydro power is yet to be harnessed by the small hydro power plant. Uttarakhand has a large network of rivers and canals which provides an immense scope for hydro power energy. In India, the Development of Small Hydro Power Projects was started in the year 1897. In India, the first hydro power station was a small hydro power station of capacity 130 KW commissioned at Sidrapong near Darjeeling in West Bengal in 1897.