PALAKKAD: The Meenvallom mini-hydroelectric project, modelled on Chinese projects, is being revived.

A power purchase agreement between the district panchayat and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) for the project will be signed on July 26.

District panchayat president Subida Ishaq said here on Wednesday that the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) had agreed to provide a loan of Rs.8 crores for the project. NABARD officials visited the project site at Meenvallom on Tuesday.

The project, conceived by the district panchayat in 1996, was held up as the previous United Democratic Front Government declined to stand guarantee for the loan to be taken for the project. The project has been revived with the Left Democratic Front Government agreeing to stand guarantee, she said.

The project in Karimba panchayat of Mannakkad taluk, expected to generate 8.75 million units of power annually, is the pilot project for 12 similar schemes that were identified by the district panchayat earlier.

The district panchayat in 1996 had identified 13 areas of waterfalls for river basin projects, and the initial survey by the Integrated Rural Technology Centre (IRTC), the research centre of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), at Mundur in Palakkad found them to be feasible.

The 12 other locations are Thettillam in Kizhakancherry panchayat, Sitarkundu and Palakapandi in Kollengode panchayat, Karimpuzha in Malampuzha panchayat, Chempukatti in Kottopadam panchayat, Vellachattapara in Alanallur panchayat, Varadimala in Shoalyur panchayat, Mandampotti and Cholakkode in Agali panchayat, Karappara I and II in Nelliampathy panchayat and Thekkadi in Muthalamada panchayat.

Since the first Meenvallom project was held up the remaining projects were not taken up by the district panchayat. With the revival of the Meenvallom project, other projects are also likely to be taken up.

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