Nathpa Jhakri

Questions to the World Bank regarding Indian Dam Builder

SJVN: well equipped to develop the Rampur project?
Questions to the World Bank regarding the Indian dam building company Sutley Jal Vidyut Nigam

The World Bank is considering financing the Rampur hydropower project in India’s Northern State of Himachal Pradesh. Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN, formerly the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation) is planning to develop this project. SJVN has in the past only executed one hydropower project in India, the Nathpa Jhakri project, also partly financed by the World Bank. The 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project suffered from severe project design and implementation failures, resulting in acute cost and time overruns.

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And The Walls Came Tumbling Down

Dam Safety Concerns Grow in Wake of Failures, Changing Climate

World Rivers Review, June 2005

By Patrick McCully

It has been a bad year for dam safety.

In February, five dams in Pakistan burst after torrential rains swelled local rivers. The biggest of these – the 35-meter Shadikor Dam – killed at least 80 people, injured many more and left 4,000 families homeless. The Shadikor Dam was only two years old. It appears that no warnings were given to people downstream.