Jurala plant to be in place by 2007

JURALA, Mahabubnagar: A 240 mw bulb-type turbine hydel power plant will be commissioned in the state by 2007.
The construction of the hydel plant is being taken up at Jurala on the river Krishna in Mahabubnagar district. The project will have six units, each with 40 mw capacity.
The foundation stone for the Priyadarshini Jurala hydel power project was laid by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday at the Jurala dam.
The first two units of the project would be commissioned by 2006 and the remaining four by 2007. The project cost is pegged at Rs 547 crore.
The power generated from the Jurala project, an inter-state project involving Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, would be shared by the two states equally. The bulb-type turbines, unlike the normal turbines, will be installed under water. The cost would also be shared equally by the two states.
The excavation work had already started and China Machinery and Equipment Corporation (CMEC) is being selected to provide the required machinery for the project. The CMEC was selected after inviting global tenders.AP Genco will execute and maintain the project.
Naidu said the power project would solve the low voltage problem in the Mahabubnagar and Kurnool districts. The Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has sanctioned Rs 438 crore for the project. The power would be sold at Rs 2.18 each unit for both the states.
The Genco is conducting a feasibility study to set up another hydel unit at Gundala falls (Lower Jurala), 10 km away from Jurala, Genco director (hydel), Bh Satyanarayana Murthy said.
Naidu hailed the performance of Genco in the past nine years. He said the government would make all efforts to save the standing crops in the state.
"The drought conditions in the state had severely affected the hydel power generation. However, the Genco''s focus on thermal power generation has resulted in quality power supply to both, agriculture and domestic sectors," he said.
Naidu said the government would give push to lift irrigation projects in the drought-affected Mahabubnagar district and will be completing Nettempadu, Bhima,Koilsagar and Chandragadda lift irrigation schemes in the district.