Two crucial units of one of the most important projects in the country’s power sector, both part of the of the upcoming 4,000 MW Yadadri Ultra Mega Power Plant, a brainchild of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, will be ready for commissioning next year.
This is despite the delay of one and a half years caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chief Minister, who visited the progress of work at the power plant near Veerlapalem in Damarcherla mandal of Nalgonda district, said two units with a capacity of 800 MW each, would be ready for commissioning by December 2023, while the remaining three units will be completed by June 2024.
The Chief Minister asked Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy and officials to expedite the ongoing works and make the project operational at the earliest.
“Upon completion, the Yadadri UMPP being constructed by the State government will be the pride of not just Telangana, but also of the entire nation,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the project was taken up in the public sector for the welfare of farmers and people of Telangana, without giving in to pressure exerted by private and corporate forces to hand over the plant to them.
He reached Damarcherla in a special helicopter and conducted an aerial survey of the power plant. Later, he went to the 12th floor of the structure, which is 82 metres high, and inspected the ongoing works.
During his visit, Chandrashekhar Rao reviewed the progress of various components, including boilers for the Phase -1 and Phase-2 of the power plant. He asked officials of TS Genco, TS Transco and BHEL to expedite the works to complete the project as per schedule. He also went around a photo exhibition of the power plant arranged at the project site.
The Chief Minister also instructed officials to take all measures to ensure that the coal reserves required for the operation of the power plant were made
available for at least 30 days. Considering the significance of such a crucial power project, the authorities were advised to act proactively and take appropriate decisions with regard to other operations as well. Officials were instructed to make arrangements for providing power supply connectivity from Yadadri power plant to all areas of the State including Hyderabad.
He also asked officials to make arrangements to supply Krishna River water to meet the power plant’s requirement along with drinking water to the proposed township for the power plant staff. The power plant is being established at Damarcherla on the Krishnapatnam port and Addanki highway, with an aim to provide employment opportunities to the people of the erstwhile Nalgonda district.
Chandrashekhar Rao also directed officials to acquire an additional 100 acres of land for construction of a township to accommodate about 10,000 employees working at the power plant. As a solar power plant was also proposed for development in the vicinity in future, he wanted them to ensure that there was an adequate number of quarters to accommodate the entire staff. A sports complex was proposed to be developed in about 50 acres, along with a supermarket, commercial complex, a club house, hospital, school, auditorium and a multiplex theatre. Separate quarters would be constructed for private service staff.
Further, the Chief Minister directed Secretary Smitha Sabharwal to immediately sanction 7 km of four-line CC roads from Damarcherla Highway to the power plant at Veerlapalem. He asked officials to coordinate with the Railways for construction of the Road-over-Bridge (ROB) at the railway crossing as well as the expansion of the Damarcherla railway station.
He congratulated TS TransCO and TS GenCo chairman and managing director along with other officials over the rapid progress of the construction work at the power plant.