33 years on, govt fails to restore Kashmir’s first hydroelectric Mohra power project

Uri, Feb 15: Even after 33 years since it was affected by the devastating floods, the government is yet to restore the 123-year-old heritage Mohra power project in Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Located along the banks of the River Jhelum on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad national highway in Mohra area, this power project was rendered defunct during the 1992 floods in Kashmir.

“Since then, the government has made no serious effort to restore it,” said Mohammad Younis, a 70-year-old retired power department employee from the Gingal area of Uri.

Younis has witnessed the project’s history closely. “The project was established during Maharaja Ranbir Singh’s reign, with machinery brought from Rawalpindi in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) via horse carts before the 1947 partition,” he recalls.

The Mohra hydroelectric project was constructed in 1902 by Canadian-born engineer Major Alian de Litbniere. It was designed with unique features, including an 11-kilometer-long wooden flume as a water conductor.

“The project was first damaged during the 1959 floods, but engineers worked to restore it, expanding its capacity from 4 MW to 9 MW,” Younis said.

The project was handed over to the J&K government in 1962.

However, after the 1992 floods, it was once again severely affected, and its restoration has remained pending since then, according to Younis, who had also worked on the project.

Abdul Aziz Tantry, 60, a local from Mohra village, believes the restoration of the project could greatly benefit the residents of Uri.

“Around 500 people were employed by the project, and all of them lost their jobs after it was shut down,” he said.

“This historic project used to supply electricity not only to various parts of J&K, including Uri areas, but also to areas outside the valley. Restoring it could solve the issue of unscheduled power cuts in Uri and become a good source of income for the government,” he added.

Bashir Bhat, a resident of Garkote village, also advocated the immediate revival of the power project. He noted the rare architecture of the 11-kilometer-long wooden flume evokes nostalgic feeling among visitors.

“The flume which used to be the main attraction for visitors, has disappeared in several parts, though remnants of it can still be seen when travelling from Baramulla to Uri,” Bhat said.

“If restored, the power project could become a new tourist attraction, similar to Kaman Post and others. People are aware of its history and would love to explore it,” Bhat added.

In 2017, officials from the J&K State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) stated that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) was being prepared and that they were consulting heritage conservationists. Subsequently, a DPR worth Rs 133.50 crore was created, and they also received approval from the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) to use their water supply for the restoration.

However, local residents pointed out that NHPC authorities are reluctant to allow the project’s revival. “They believe it could lead to a loss for them,” said Shafiq Ahmad, a local of Uri town.

A senior official from JKSPDC reassured that the Mohra project has not been abandoned. “Its restoration is still in the pipeline, and we are working on the necessary modalities to bring it back to life,” the official confirmed.

Regarding the DPR, he mentioned, "Tendering was also carried out as we aimed to restore it through the Independent Producer (IP) concept plan, but it couldn't progress at that time. We are still working on it."