Timely preventive measures saves Larji power project from flood threats

SHIMLA 6th September, 2025

Learning a lesson from the disaster of 2023, the state government successfully protected the Larji hydropower project this year from the challenges of heavy rains and floods. Under the directions of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and with the preparedness of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL), the 126 MW project continued to operate smoothly and the power house remained completely safe.
Keeping in view the future challenges the Board worked on a comprehensive safety plan and preventive measures were adopted well in time, the most important being the installation of flood gates. The project site and the main entry point remained secure even during the floods in the Beas river due to installation of gates moreover, the water seeping into the powerhouse was drained out immediately.
The Board management had already created field and technical posts under the rationalization of the Generation Wing in February 2025, which further strengthened the security arrangements of the Larji project. The project team effectively implemented the safety plan on site and succeeded in keeping the project safe even when silt deposits were formed during the flood on 26 August, 2025.
In 2023, the devastation had forced the complete shutdown of the Larji project for almost six months, causing a loss of nearly Rs.95 crore. An additional Rs. 185 crore had to be spent to make the project operational.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has expressed satisfaction over the protective measures taken to safeguard the Larji project from floods. He directed that the special safety plan for the project should continue to be implemented effectively. He also congratulated the management, engineers and the entire team of employees who contributed to ensuring the safety of the project.