DAMODAR VALLEY CORPORATION
 COMMITTED TO PROSPERITY
By A Correspondent

Genesis
The disastrous floods of 1943 set people thinking about the Damodar. A ten-man Enquiry committee was formed including two of the most distinguished men in the country - Dr. Meghnad Saha and the Maharaja of Burdwan. On the basis of their recommendations the model of Tennessee Valley Authority of the USA was adopted. The TVA had successfully turned the Tennessee River into a multifaceted source of prosperity and power. The central Government inducted a TVA expert, Mr. W L Voorduin to prepare the preliminary memorandum which, in fact was the genesis of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

Damodar Valley Corporation, the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India was formed on july 7, 1948 for flood control, providing water for irrigation and other uses, generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy, soil conservation, afforestation and overall socio - economic well being of the inhabitants of Damodar Valley area. But in tune with the time, priority has been focussed on generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy. Maintaining a steady generation level and ensuring quality power for the consumers has gone hand in hand with the other activities which ensure harmonious environmental and social growth.
 

Damodar Valley Corporation Infrastructure - At a Glance  DVC Command Area  24,235 Sq.kms.  POWER MANAGEMENT  Total installed capacity 2761.5 MW Thermal Power Stations Five Capacity 2535 MW) Hydel Power Stations  Three(Capacity 144 MW)  Gas Turbine Station One(Capacity82.5 MW)  Sub-Stations & At 220 KV : 7  Receiving At 132 KV : 31  Stations At 33 KV: 15 Transmission Line  At 220 KV : 1164 CircuitKM   At 132 KV : 3173 Circuit KM  At 33KV : 1064 Circuit KM  WATER MANAGEMENT  Major Dams and Barrages Tilaiya, Konar, Maithon, Panchet Dams and Durgapur Barrage.  Irrigation Command Area  5.69 lakhhectares  Irrigation Potential  3.64 lakh hectares  Flood Reserve Capacity  1270 million cum  Canals  2,495 Kms.  SOIL CONSERVATION  Forest and Farms(covered area)  4 lakh hectares (Approx)  Check Dams  10,000 (Approx.)

On Going Projects
PROJECTS UNDER IMPLEMENTATION
Mejia Thermal Power Station (3 x 210 MW)
The Government of India sanctioned the project on 20.3.86 and the estimated cost was Rs. 641.42 crore (3rd qtr. 1983 price level). The revised project-cost estimate of Rs. 1989. 14 crore (3rd qtr. 1995 price level) was approved by PIB on 20.6.1996 and by the Government of India on 6.10.1997.
All the units started commercial operation on the following dates:

Residual work of the 220-KV Maithon-Mejia line, Effluent Treatment Plant, Passive Fire Protection System and the remaining work at CHP, Centralised A/C Plant, Ash Bundh etc. is under progress.

NEW PROJECTS
Maithon Right Bank Thermal Power Station (4 x 250 MW)
The project has been identified as a Mega Power Project by the Government of India under its Mega Power policy with fully export-oriented units. The project was conceived as a joint-venture company between DVC and BSES. Accordingly, as MOU was signed between DVC and BSES in New Delhi on 08.02.2000. The foundation stone for the project was laid on 03.01.2000. The joint-venture company, ‘Maithon Power Limited’, was registered in New Delhi on 26.7.2000. The new company has taken up work on land-acquisition, preparation of DPR, awarding EPC contracts, etc. through its major participating promoters, DVC and BSES.

Mejia TPS Extension Unit No. 4 (1 x 210 MW)
DVC Board accorded approval for preparation of feasibility report for addition of one unit of 210 MW at Mejia TPS under Stage-II on 05.02.2000. Consequently work order for carrying out the EIA study was given to M/s. Development Consultant Ltd., Calcutta.

POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES
Installation work of three additional Electro-Static Precipit- ators at Bokaro B Thermal Power Station was taken up in 1994. Work on Unit-3 has almost been completed. Installation of ESPs was delayed due to the slow progress of work by M/s. ABB-ABL. The ESPs under construction are meant for controlling the pollution at BTPS “B”. Two ESPs for each unit are already in operation.

RENOVATION & MODERNISATION
In line with the Government of India’s strategy to improve the performance of old power stations and meet the system-demand to a considerable extent at a much cheaper cost, DVC adopted some programmes under phase - I Renovation and Modernisation (R&M) scheme for BTPS ‘A’, CTPS and DTPS. The approval for implementation of phase - I R&M scheme was conveyed by CEA/GOI in 1985 (7th Five-year plan). All work under phase -I has been completed and the scheme was frozen in December, 1994. The actual expenditure/utilisation was Rs. 80.73 crore RCE, whereas the approved cost was 50.20 crore.
Phase II R&M scheme was approved by CEA in 1990 under the 8th Five-year plan. Almost all major work under the scheme dealing with BTPS ‘A’, CTPS and DTPS has been executed.
Steps has been taken to eliminate the hazard arising out of stack - emmission, ash - disposal etc by installing new ESPs along with de - ashing system. CTPS Units 1 to 6 and DTPS U-3 have been equipped with new ESPs along with connected ash - handling system. As a result, air and water pollution have been brought below the pollution control Board limit.
DVC has taken up phase -III R&M scheme for the modernisation of other old thermal units. CTPS U-2 and BTPS ‘A’ U-3 have been identified as the initial target areas under R&M work.

SOCIAL INTEGRATION PROGRAMME
The DVC is not only about dams, power plants, irrigation canals and navigation projects; it has a more human face as well, which embraces communities and villages neighbouring its projects.
DVC spends around Rs. 1.5 crore annually for its Social Integration Programme, launched with the aim of improving the quality of life of the people around its main projects. Launched in 1982 with 25 villages, the programme now covers around 229 villages around the main DVC projects and focusses on the following socio-economic activities.

EDUCATION: Educational programmes are being promoted through Non-formal and Adult Education Centres with the DVC providing all necessary inputs. Rural libraries and community centres have been set-up to aid the literacy drive.

HEALTH: Health and family welfare activities are being conducted by setting up homeopathic dispensaries, mobile clinics and by organising camps for mother-child care, pulse-polio immunisation, cancer-awareness, family welfare, etc. DVC is also constructing new village health-centre and dispensaries and renovating the existing ones.

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT:DVC has focused on improving the infrastructure for the over-all development of villages around its projects: construction of roads, bridges, drains and public toilets, setting up water-taps and hand-pumps, digging up new wells and renovation the old ones and construction and renovation of school-buildings.

AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES: To augment the yield from fields, DVC has initiated micro-lift irrigation programme, dug irrigation wells, constructed check dams, renovated ponds and trained farmers.

TRAINING FOR INCOME GENERATION: DVC trains people living around its projects in the following vocations: sewing, knitting, embroidery, leaf plate making, cocoon reeling, mushroom production, lac cultivation, food preservation, etc.

RECREATION & CULTURAL ACTIVITIES: To promote healthy recreational habits and cultural activities, a number of youth clubs have been set up to organise sports and cultural activities.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
The most significant factor contributing to the success of DVC is its human resources. DVC is proud to have succeeded in motivating its workforce and bringing the best out of them. DVC is also carrying out rationalisation of manpower on a continuous basis to achieve efficient utilisation of the pool of talent and at its disposal. DVC’s total employee-strength stands at 14,265 as on 31.3.2000. The efforts are being made to rationalise the manpower to improve man-MW ratio.

CONSUMER SPECTRUM
Railways
DVC meets a major portion of traction load of Eastern and South-Eastern Railways within and beyond the valley. Almost entire power requirement of Grand Chord Section of Eastern Railway upto Gaya is met by DVC. The locomotive industry at Chittaranjan also take DVC Power.

Coal
Almost the whole of Eastern Coalfields, Bharat Coking Coal and part of Central Coalfields - the richest coal bearing region in the country - raise their coal with power from DVC. Larger and increasingly mechanised under- ground and opencast collieries need this steady power supply for safe working and improved production.

Steel
Steel and iron manufacturing constitutes yet another important sector which relies heavily on electric supply from the DVC. Among the major integrated steel plants that draw DVC power are Bokaro Steel Plant, Durgapur Steel Plant, Tata Iron & Steel Co. and IISCO, Burnpur. Among other recipients are scores of midi and mini-steel plants.

Other Power Generating Agencies