New Delhi [India], November 27 (ANI): A hydro project in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district - the oldest in the area- is moving closer to returning to service after the major upgrades, with Chief Minister Pema Khandu sharing an update on the ongoing test run of the Kitpi small hydro electric station Phase-I.

The Chief Minister said the plant, first built in 1977, has undergone a complete upgrade with new infrastructure and a test run is in progress.

'Inspected the Kitpi small hydro electric station Phase-I today, the oldest hydel project in Tawang district, originally built in 1977. The plant has now been upgraded with modern infrastructure, and the test run is currently in progress,' he said on X.

The Kitpi station has been an important source of local power for Tawang for many years. Over time, it needed better equipment and repairs to meet growing demand. The fresh upgrade aims to make the plant safer and more reliable, especially for the communities that depend on it.

In his post, Khandu also said the upgraded project will be dedicated to people very soon, marking another step forward in strengthening our local power infrastructure.

His update signals the state government's focus on improving smaller but important projects that support day-to-day electricity needs in remote areas.

Once dedicated to the public, the updated hydro station is expected to play a key role in meeting everyday electricity needs in the district.

The Centre has taken various initiatives to harness the hydro-power potential including the hydro pumped storage potential.

As per the study carried out by Central Election Authority (CEA) during the period 2017-2023, the exploitable large hydro potential in the country is about 133.4 Giga Watt (GW). Further, the identified pumped storage potential is about 181.4 GW. (ANI)