MUMBAI, April 8 (Reuters) - India has approved investment of over $4 billion for the construction of two hydro-electric projects along the Brahmaputra river in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh as demand for power rises, the government said on Wednesday.
Here are some details:
* The proposed 1720 MW Kamala project, worth 260.7 billionIndian rupees ($2.83 billion), is a joint venture between NHPCLtd and the Arunachal Pradesh government. * The 1200 MW Kalai-II project, with a total cost of 141.06billion rupees, is a joint venture between THDC India Ltd andthe local government. * New Delhi expects the projects to be completed within sixto eight years. * The Brahmaputra River, which rises in Tibet and flowsthrough India and Bangladesh, holds significant hydro potentialalong its Indian stretch, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh onthe Chinese border. * The basin's transboundary nature and proximity to Chinamake water management and infrastructure planning a strategicconcern, with India fearing that an upriver Chinese dam on theYarlung Zangbo could cut dry-season flows on the Indian side byup to 85%. * India last year announced a $77 billion transmission planto move more than 76 GW of hydroelectric capacity from theBrahmaputra basin by 2047. * India aims to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels byhaving 500 GW of non-fossil power generation capacity by 2030and becoming net zero by 2070.
($1 = 92.2650 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Shanima Aniyeri in Mumbai; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
