04/1990 – 10/2007

THDC INDIA LIMITED | TEHRI / DELHI, INDIA ENGINEER – SR MANAGER

TEHRI DAM PROJECT (1000 MW) – Concept 2 Commissioning

CONSTRUCTION OF TEHRI DAM, LIKE BHAKRA BAM ( temple of modern India), IS A ONCE IN LIFE TIME EVENT AND I FEEL PRIVILEGED TO HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED IN IT’S EXECUTION FROM CONCEPT TO COMMISSIONING AND ACQUIRED MULTI DISCIPLINARY EXPERIENCE IN EXECUTION, DCB & ICB BIDDING/DPR/PACKAGING/R&R/ MINISTRY LIASION/ CSR/ WORKS, SUPPLY & SERVICE CONTRACTS/ PROCUREMENT OF POWER PLANT EQUIPMENT ONLAND & MARINE TRANSPORTATION FROM ABROAD/ INSPECTIONS/DRP/ ARBITRATION/ TOWNSHIP/ ROADS/ BRIDGES/ SPILLWAYS/EARTH & ROCKFILL DAM/ COFFER DAM/ POWER HOUSE/ TUNNELING BY DBM ETC

The 260.5 m high Tehri dam is the highest Earth and Rockfill Dam in Asia. It involved resettlement & rehabilitation of 13841 families with irrigation benefits of 2.7 lac ha. of land in UP and drinking water for 40 lac population in Delhi & 30 lac population in UP. It has numerous other multipurpose benefits.

The Top most benefit of Tehri Dam is in giving 1000 MW Peaking Power to 9 states of Northern India for grid stabilization and helping in the Kumbh mela when there is draught like situation. It also saved Rishikesh from devastation due to 2013 floods as it absorbed the inundation of Bhagirathi river for more than 72 hours.

I have been actively involved in various works at the Tehri dam Project during my long stint there like National, International Contracts (with & without financial packages), Inspection, FOB Supplies, execution, CSR, R&R, MoEF clearances , Planning Commission approvals, Ministry of Finance / CCEA clearances, Govt. Liaisoning & expediting, Strategic Planning, Presentations at highest level at the Govt Of India.

To keep the cost & Tariff low, the Project was packaged into the most optimized way. Completiion cost is Rs 8298 Crores. The Unique principles adopted in R&R in Tehri dam have helped to devise the National Rehabilitation & Resettlement Policy 2003 by Govt of India. Visited Russia, Dubai & other places as part of the high level experts Technical & Commercial Negotiations team and to expedite the Supplies. Be it the FOB Supplies (14 shipments completed comprising thousands of packages and 16000 metric tons supplies) from Black Sea Port of Illychevsk Port, Ukraine or the Splitting of the underground Power House Civil Works in 3 Packages- Package I, II & III) , Cofferdam into 4 packages , Contracting Russian design Consultants , Generating equipment from the Consortium of Russian, Ukrainian & German Suppliers, GIS & GIB from Siemens Germany , SCADA system from ABB Germany, Unique in-house design features of the Morning Glory Shaft Spillways , Chute Spillways, separate Contracts for Procurement of ASTM 517 Steel from Sumitomo Japan and Fabrication erection of Penstocks in situ at Site and above all the erection Contract with BHEL, all have helped to keep the total cost of the Project under check and save huge money for the Nation. The Electricity is flowing into the grid since 2006 and 9 states of Northern India are benefitting from the Peaking Power of 1000 MW Tehri Dam. The Corporation started to earn profits and pay dividend from the very Ist year of Commissioning of the Project.

• The main equipment Contracts are mostly awarded on turnkey basis for major Hydroelectric projects. The Supply Contract for main Electro-mechanical equipment in case of Tehri Stage-I had been awarded on FOB basis with the Russian led Consortium comprising various manufacturers. As such massive efforts/challenging work was to be executed since the complete responsibility from FOB Port (Illychevsk Black Sea Port, Ukraine/Russia to Rishikesh/Tehri till Project site for safe transportation and reaching of the equipment to site was with THDC). Normally in such Contracts the complete responsibility from manufacturing plant right upto project site & erection till final handing over remains with the Foreign Supplier. A major saving in cost has been done by Total tonnage shipped on FOB Basis 16000 MT/23000 CBM. THDC though it has increased the work/efforts and coordination by THDC at various fronts/points for transportation of thousands of packages/sub-assemblies from Illychevsk Port, Ukraine to Russia/Tehri site arranging Insurance/other logistics thereof. Considerable progress has been achieved in this regard and the equipments have been supplied/shipped from the Ukrainian port to Rishikesh/Project site comprising 16 shipments of equipment valuing approx. 121 Million US $ i.e. 100% of the work has been completed in Power Machines, OJSC / Russian Supplies and also 100% has been completed in Alstom/German supplies for supply of Computerised Control System, GIS/GIB from Siemens has also been shipped from Germany.
• Remittance of foreign payments to EME, Power Machines/ Siemens / Alstom Germany , HPI Moscow in association with Finance Noida through authorized dealer and Reserve Bank of India, New Delhi. Considerable amount of money has been saved by the Corporation in this regard through authorized dealers and deals finalized at most competitive exchange rates.
• Coordinated and expedited the deputation of various experts viz., generator expert, Storage expert, Turbine expert, stator expert, Rotor/Excitation experts etc. to the project site for Supervision of erection of the main Generating equipments at Project site.
• While the order for Gas Insulated Switchgear and GI Busducts (under ICB with financing arrangements by way of Buyers’ Credit from KfW, Germany), had been placed on M/s Siemens, Germany, and  down payment made, the Loan Agreements could not be signed immediately on account of reluctance of German authorities to provide the Hermes cover for the Export Credit from KfW on account of concerns raised by the Green lobby in Germany. The contentious issue was got settled by interaction with the German authorities and with the intervention of the Ministry of Power/Ministry of Finance. Subsequently, the Loan Agreements were signed with KfW All the supplies of GIS/GIB have since been despatched and received at site.
• Discussion with Ministry of Law, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Power for resolution of the issue of Bills of exchange of EME Russia.
• Discussion and finalisation of various amendments to the International contracts of EME Russia and HPI Moscow WITH suppliers Credit and drafting of overall agreement.
• Finalisation of terms & conditions and installation of DRB Panel for various works contracts.
• Various critical post award contractual prepayment relating to Corporate Contracts including participation in negotiations of retirement / prepayment of the credit of approx. 500 crores. which is likely to result in huge foreign exchange savings for the corporation. A lot of work is done on this account viz approvals of RBI, Ministry of Finance, signing of tripartite agreements, Board approvals and final remittance of amounts to Foreign lenders / Suppliers (in case of suppliers credit) THROUGH sbi, New York.
• The works of spillway structures had come to a grinding halt in April / May 2004 due to non-availability and scarcity of Micro Silica a priority and specilised item manufactured by very few companies in the World. Secretary (Power ) had constituted a high level empowered committee in May 2004 for urgent procurement of Micro Silica within 15 days. The undersigned had assisted the committee of Directors in procurement of the emergency quantity placed the necessary purchase orders after protracted negotiations with the suppliers. The undersigned had been specially deputed to Dubai for inspection and expediting the supplies from Jabel Ali port, Dubai which was completed and the concreting work resumed at the spillway structure which are the only one of its kind being built in India.

KOTESHMWAR DAM – 400 MW

• Finalisation of tender terms & conditions and pre-bid conferences with bidders for Koteshwar civil works.(400MW), Koteshwar Electro-mechanical works Koteshwar Hydro-mechanical works.
• Finalisation of terms & conditions and installation of DRB Panel for Power House Civil works contract.
• Contesting of the writs filed by Continental Construction Ltd. concerning Koteshwar Civil works tender and subsequently the SLP in the Supreme Court and obtained a favourable decision, whereupon the contract for civil works of the Koteshwar Dam Project was awarded to the L1 bidder.
• Finalisation and signing of the MOU for providing D&E services for Koteshwar Project with CWC, New Delhi.
• Finalisation and signing of the Retainer Consultancy work for Koteshwar Electro-mechanical work with CEA, New Delhi.

TEHRI PSP- 1000 MW

• Associated in the Finalisation of French aid and conclusion of Agreement for Consultancy Services for preparation of Detailed Project Report for 1000 MW Tehri Pump Storage Plant, being carried out by EdF/CoB, French Consultants.
• Preparation of terms and conditions of Civil works of 1000 MW Tehri Pump Storage Plant and invitation of bids.
• Comparative Study of the MOST CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT DECISION OF 2 speed & Variable Speed option for the PSP.

The legendary Metro Man Shri E Sreedharan on his visit to the Tehri Dam Complex was exceptionally happy to see the engineering Marvel and asked his Engineers in DMRC to have Tehri dam & its underground Power House Cavern & other Structures as a MUST SEE in their technical up gradation itinerary.