In Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmad Rana, said that J&K has an estimated hydropower potential of 18,000 megawatts (MW), out of which 14,867 MW have been identified. Akashvani Jammu Correspondent reports that the minister was replying on behalf of the chief minister to a question raised by Mubarak Gul in the assembly.
The minister informed the House that the identified potential comprises 11,283 MW in the Chenab basin, 3,084 MW in the Jhelum basin and 500 MW in the Ravi basin. He said that out of the identified potential, 3540.15 MW (23.81%) has been harnessed to date, including 1197.4 MW in the UT sector (JKSPDC), 2250 MW in the central sector (NHPC) and 92.75 MW in IPP mode under 31 projects. Regarding solar power projects, the minister said that a total of 4648 government buildings and 5463 residential households have installed solar power plants with a capacity of 41,367 MW and 34,300 MW, respectively.
The minister said that J&K has an estimated solar potential of 111 GW, most of which is restricted in the UT of Ladakh. He added that mega-size solar power projects have not been developed in the J&K to date, as identification of feasible land banks (500 acres for 100 MW solar park) at single locations for its development is difficult because of the topography of the UT. The minister informed that, however, a cumulative capacity of 75 MW of rooftop solar power plants has been installed in the UT across all sectors under various schemes and projects mostly sponsored by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), GoI
