Aizawl: With Mizoram currently generating only around 10 percent of its total electricity requirement, the state government is pushing ahead with the proposed 132 MW Tuivai Hydroelectric Power Project, a long-delayed project that was redesigned after parts of the original dam area were found to extend into neighbouring Manipur.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Wednesday chaired a review meeting on the project at the Chief Minister’s Office, attended by Power Minister F. Rodingliana and senior officials of the Power & Electricity Department.
According to officials, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Tuivai project has already been completed and the project is now ready for tendering. The government is currently exploring implementation under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The meeting highlighted Mizoram’s growing dependence on externally purchased electricity. The state’s current peak power demand stands at 182 MW and is projected to rise to around 213 MW by 2030, according to the 20th Electric Power Survey.
Although the state has an installed generation capacity of 50.20 MW, actual production remains significantly lower. Officials said only about one-tenth of Mizoram’s electricity demand is currently met through local generation, forcing the state to spend nearly Rs 649.54 crore annually on power purchases, excluding transmission costs.
The Tuivai project was originally surveyed by the Central Water Commission in 1992 with a proposed generation capacity of 210 MW. However, because a portion of the proposed dam area would have extended into Manipur, the project later underwent redesign and re-survey.
A revised DPR has now reduced the proposed generation capacity to 132 MW.
According to the DPR, the project is estimated to cost Rs 2,289.50 crore and is expected to be completed within five years once work begins. The meeting also decided that the annual funding requirements would be examined in consultation with the Finance Department.
The government also reviewed progress on the ongoing Tuirini Hydroelectric Project and infrastructure works being implemented under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
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