Shanan hydropower project of British era in a shambles

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, November 17

The British-era Shanan hydropower project at Joginder Nagar, 40 km from here, is in a shambles due to the apathy of the Punjab Government.

One of the oldest powerhouses

• During the British rule in 1925, it was constructed under a 99-year lease executed between Joginder Sen, Raja of Mandi state, and Col BC Batty, a British representative.
• The infrastructure of the project is in a poor condition. It seems the Punjab Government will hand over ruins and ravages to Himachal on the termination of the 99-year-old lease in 2024.

The lease of the project will expire after in 2024, after which it will be handed over to the Himachal Government.

The Punjab Government has failed to maintain the buildings, ropeway trolley service and other equipment. After the reorganisation of the states in 1966, the Shanan powerhouse was given to Punjab by the Central Government as the lease agreement was yet to expire.

During the British rule in 1925, it was constructed under a 99-year lease executed between Joginder Sen, Raja of Mandi state, and Col BC Batty, a British representative. The lease will end in 2024 after which Himachal will become the owner of the project.

This powerhouse was constructed against the backdrop of dense deodar forests with a four-stage haulage rail network starting from Joginder Nagar up to Barot, a cup-shaped village on the banks of the Uhl. The tail water of the river is being used by the state government for another two power projects.

The British had also laid a small guage rail line between Pathankot and Joginder Nagar to transport heavy machinery to the Shanan complex. A ropeway trolley, one of a kind in the country, was also constructed.

“The Shanan powerhouse is one of the oldest powerhouses of the country, which used to feed the entire undivided Punjab, Lahore and Delhi before Independence. Its marvelous setting has made it more of a world tourist resort than a mere powerhouse. Thousands of tourists from across the world visit Barot to enjoy the ride of haulage way trucks and trolleys up to Barot.

The infrastructure of the project is in a poor condition. It seems the Punjab Government would hand over ruins and ravages to the state on the termination of the 99-year-old lease in 2024.

Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma has already apprised the Central Government of the situation and demanded the handing over of the powerhouse to the state government without delay.