All help to exploit Kashmir's huge hydro power potential: Modi

Srinagar, July 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said that Jammu and Kashmir has a huge eco-friendly hydropower potential and the central government would give all possible help to exploit it.

Addressing a gathering while inaugurating the 240 megawatt Uri-II hydro power project near the Uri town in Baramulla district, the prime minister said the government has laid stress on environment-friendly energy of which hydro power is an important constituent.

Jammu and Kashmir has a potential of production of 13,000-14,000 MW clean and environment-friendly energy and all efforts would be made to channelize it, he said.

The project, located near the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district close to Uri town, was dedicated to the nation by Modi in the presence of Governor N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, top officials of NHPC, state legislative councillor G.N. Monga, Chief Secretary Iqbal Khanday and Director General of Police K. Rajendra.

This is the second power project on River Jhelum in Uri area and is located downstream of the 480-MW Uri-I HEP, which is already operational.

The project is run-of-the-river with a concrete gravity dam which is 52 metres high and 157 metres long with four spillways of nine metres each.

The 4.23-km head race tunnel carries water from the dam to the powerhouse, which has four units of 60 MW each designed to generate 1,124 million units of electricity in a year. The work on the power project was completed in time despite a massive earthquake striking the area Oct 8, 2005 -- two weeks after Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) started work on it.

Modi said Jammu and Kashmir is on the path of development and progress and he visualised many big milestones in coming days.

He also announced upgradation of the local Kendraya Vidalya from high school to higher secondary school for which admission would be started from the coming session.

Earlier, the prime minister laid a wreath at the war memorial inside the Badami Bagh cantonment headquarters of army's 15th Corps in Srinagar.

He also addressed a Sainik Sammelan.

Vohra hosted a lunch at the Raj Bhavan in honour of Modi.

From Uri, the prime minister flew back to Delhi.