Agartala, Aug 06: In a renewed effort to revive Tripura’s only hydropower project, an expert team comprising senior officials and specialists from national-level organizations conducted a detailed inspection of the Dumboor Hydel Project and held a series of high-level meetings at the Jatanbari Revenue Dak Bungalow.
The visiting team included Tripura’s newly appointed Managing Director Bishwajit Basu, AGM Manoj Debbarma, Civil Works Nodal Officer Tapan Majumdar, Senior Manager of Jatanbari Binimoy Chakraborty, and Senior Manager Manoj Dewan. Also present were experts from two major central public sector undertakings—NHPC and BHEL—underscoring the seriousness of the initiative.
The expert team thoroughly examined various aspects of the Dumboor Hydel Project, especially in light of the damages it suffered during the devastating floods that hit Tripura last year. The flooding caused significant damage to infrastructure and halted electricity generation—leaving the project non-functional to this day.
With Tripura facing ongoing electricity shortages and the high cost of gas-based power production, stakeholders are increasingly questioning why a profitable and cost-efficient power source like the Dumboor Hydel Project has remained idle for so long.
The review meeting concluded with several key observations. Most notably, experts recommended a full-scale modernization of the existing infrastructure—including replacement of old machinery, turbines, and components with modern, efficient equipment to restore operations.
Following the inspection, the visiting representatives from NHPC and BHEL will submit their detailed technical report to the Circle Office. From there, the report will proceed to the GM Office, then to the Board, followed by the Power Department, and finally, the state’s Power Minister. What actions will be taken by the Tripura Government and the Central Government upon reviewing this report remains to be seen.
Concerned intellectuals have also voiced frustration over the perceived indifference toward Tripura’s profit-generating public sector undertakings. They pointed out that the Dumboor Hydel Project—originally inaugurated by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and former Chief Minister Sachindra Lal Singh—was envisioned as a transformative project for Tripura, turning the region into a “heaven on earth” and contributing significantly to the national economy.
