India’s northeastern region has a hydro potential of about 34,000MW but this has hardly been developed due to lack of funds and poor communications. The state power utilities and federal North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) have failed to tap more than 1% of that potential.

The Indian government has now directed its fully-owned utility, the 2133MW National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to take up new projects in the region. Among those approved for development, with assurance of federal funding, are the 510MW Teesta-V in Sikkim state and the 90MW Loktak project in Manipur state. Survey and investigation work has also been initiated by NHPC for the 800MW Subansiri stage 1 project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project would be a component of the 21,000MW Subansiri-Dihang project on the river Brahmaputra. It will be the biggest hydro project constructed in India.