GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH IRRIGATION & CAD (PW-REFORMS) DEPARTMENT Draft Minutes of the meeting of Group of Ministers on Policy

with regard to Mini Hydel Schemes on Major Irrigation Canals and Major Rivers in the State held at Lake View Guest House on 28.06.2012. The Group of Ministers deliberated on the subject and the following decisions were taken:
I.

The Group of Ministers (GoM) reviewed the earlier minutes of the meeting held on 07.04.2012 and discussed the action taken on the instructions given therein.
1. Items I and III are clubbed as it is informed by the Irrigation

& GENCO officials that water is not flowing in the canals to assess the functioning of Mini Hydel Schemes. A workshop was organized by NREDCAP with Mini Hydel developers and Water User Associations to analyse the issues of developers and problems encountered by the WUAs in running the canal system. The GoM discussed the outcome of the workshop and agreed with the safeguards proposed for running the canal system. 2. Committees comprising officials of Irrigation Department visited Maharashtra and Karnataka States and appraised the policies being followed for installing the MH Schemes.
II. The Group of Ministers decided in principle to allow after following

certain steps, building Mini Hydel Schemes on Major Canals and Head Regulators to harness the hydel power to the maximum extent possible which will benefit the state in meeting the power shortage. It was decided not to allow MHS on the 3 Major Rivers namely Krishna, Godavari and Penna as per the earlier policy existing.

III. The GoM instructed the Irrigation & Energy Departments to give

wide publicity to the guidelines before framing and approval of policy for establishing the MH Schemes by putting the draft guidelines in the Government Website and invite suggestions from farmers organizations and other stake holders. This will facilitate to understand the safeguards to be taken while sanctioning / commissioning of the schemes.
IV. Necessary guidelines are to be prepared by I&CAD Department

keeping all the protection measures to safe guard the canal system and put on website, calling for views, suggestions & objections.

Action: Irrigation Dept. & NREDCAP

V. VC and MD, NREDCAP to indicate the possible potential sites for

establishing Mini Hydel Schemes on Canals, Streams and Vagus by conducting survey duly taking the necessary data from I&CAD Department. If necessary they may engage a professional consultancy in the matter.
VI. The issue of allowing all the existing applicants of Mini Hydel

Schemes registered with NREDCAP was discussed in detail and the Energy Department & NREDCAP are instructed to take comprehensive legal opinion on the feasibility of cancelling the existing applications or continuation of the same with changed guidelines. The existing National Policy guidelines for Mini Hydel Schemes have to be kept in mind while formulating further course of action. Action: Energy Dept. & NREDCAP
VII. It is decided that in the new policy all new sites identified by the

Government / NREDCAP for Mini Hydel Schemes shall be allotted only on bidding process in a transparent manner.

NREDCAP and the Energy Department to evolve suitable norms keeping in view the best practices in other States. Action: Energy Dept.
VIII.

The Principal Secretary/ Spl. Chief Secretary, I&CAD Dept. who looks after the water policy and water royalty subject, to be the NODAL officer in the Government for taking all necessary steps and to frame guidelines for the new policy on Mini Hydel Schemes. Guidelines for taking up Mini Hydel Schemes on Irrigation Canals, Head Regulators, Streams and Vagus

Hydro-electric power is one of the cleanest and most viable renewable sources of energy. Andhra Pradesh Government has been constantly promoting setting up of non-conventional power plants, including hydro, through various policies, incentives and agencies specially created for this purpose. At present the Mini Hydel Schemes in the State are governed by GO No. 165 I&CAD (Reforms) Dept. dt. 11.07.2007. In view of the still untapped large potential of hydropower within the State, Government of Andhra Pradesh intends to enunciate a new comprehensive and progressive promotional policy of taking up Mini Hydel Schemes to rapidly and fully harness the potential available across the State. Accordingly these new guidelines have been framed with the aim to address the needs of Mini Hydel sector and objections raised by the WUAs/farmers to have a smooth un-interrupted flow in the canals. Government invites suggestions, objections and views from all interested persons, N.G.Os, experts etc.,. on the policy guidelines for taking into consideration before announcing the new policy. The guidelines are given below in 2 sections: I (Section) Selection of Developers:
1. It is proposed to finalize the selection of Developers for all new

sites by way of competitive bidding instead of first come first right. 2. The bidding would be thrown open to technically and financially qualified bidders only. The norms for the pre-qualification would be finalized in due course.

3. All the pre-qualified bidders shall be required to deposit a fixed

amount of Rs. 5 lakhs per M.W. as base fees and then quote their offer of sharing the percentage of their generated power free of cost to the Irrigation Department through APTRANSCO. The minimum such free power to be shared would be 12% and the selection of the bidder would be on the basis of higher offer of giving free power to the APTRANSCO. 4. The Developer shall pay a royalty of Rs. 0.05 (5 paise) per unit of power generated to Irrigation Department.
5. The lease period for constructing and operating of Mini Hydel

Scheme is 33 years from the date of NOC, after which the Developer shall handover the scheme in good working condition to the Irrigation Department. II (Section) Operating Conditions:
1.

The supply of water on time to the farmers is the primary purpose of the Canals. Accordingly the flow pattern in the river/stream/canal should not be disturbed and diversion into the MH scheme shall in no way affect the upper/lower riparian rights.

2.

Control of gate operation at the Mini Hydel Stations shall be vested with Irrigation Department only. No heading up of water during lean flows shall be allowed.

3.

Sufficient man power is to be provided to operate gates and the remuneration is a part of payment made by the developer to the Government.

4.

Power generation has to be recorded automatically at an hour interval to monitor the utilization of water by the developer and readings shall be furnished to the concerned Division daily. This will indicate any fluctuations in power due to heading up of water.

5.

All the designs must be vetted by the Chief Engineer, CDO before execution and clearance to be given by APGENCO & Irrigation Department before commissioning.

6.

Cement concrete lining of inlet and tailrace channels may be insisted upon based on the site conditions.

7.

The off-take sluices at the off-take point in the and rivers & canals should be constructed as per the designs approved in this regard by the Irrigation Department.

8.

The developer shall provide and maintain flow meters at the point of inlets into the approach channel and at the point of tailrace channel for measuring discharges in connection with water regulation, In the event that both the recordings are not the same, the higher of the two, would be considered for calculating the royalty charges. The data generated through the flow meters is to be transmitted to the control room of Irrigation & CAD Department on daily basis.

9.

The operation of the Mini-Hyde! Scheme shall be suitably modified in the event of floods and other natural exigencies.
a)

The operational plan of the Mini Hydel Schemes would be evolved and got approved by the competent authority of Government of Andhra Pradesh during flood situations and other natural exigencies. Andhra Pradesh Transco shall provide power evaluation facilities to the Mini-Hydel Scheme at the cost of the developer as per the conditions stipulated by APGENCO / APTRANSCO / DISCOM or the developer may ensure the power evaluation facilities as sanctioned by APGENCO/APTRANSCO / DISCOM at their cost. Necessary safety arrangements have to be made at the cost of the developer. The department shall reserve the right to conduct inspections and tests at all times. Before charging the water conductor system, the statutory inspections would be done by concerned Superintending Engineer or Executive Department APGENCO Generation on the Engineer of Irrigation of the The lines of the inspection being carried out Engineer line. before commissioning transmission

b)

c)

10.

by Superintending Engineer or Divisional / APTRANSCO station and connecting

developer also shall provide free access to Upstream and Downstream points in Power Generation canals by constructing Bridges on Power Generation canals and provide independent

necessary approaches, to enable department vehicles move on Power Generation canals, and to operate the inlet into by Mini-Hydel Scheme, diversion gates, independently

Department Engineers.
11.

The developer shall bear the costs towards modifications required if any to the Canal system and its structures that become necessary on establishment of Mini-Hydel Schemes. The developers shall construct and maintain protection bund 1.50 m above MWL on upstream up to where the ground levels are above bund levels and also to take up necessary protection works for the banks on confluence of tailrace channel Downstream with at the The mainstream.

developer shall maintain Power Generation canal on both upstream & downstream for a length of about 5 Km for Power Generation at their cost, since the developer would using The the canal system shall constructed also provide Developers sluice in be the by the Government.

weir/diversion structure as scouring sluice for allowing lean flows.

12.

The developer shall demonstrate on the safety and proper functioning of the by-pass system and obtain clearance from the Department before commencement of power generation every year. If the establishment of Mini Hydel Schemes on rivers &canals natural streams creates environmental and ecological problems and also cause meandering of the river, scouring and shoaling of the adjoining lands (public and private) on a large scale during flood flow periods, the Developer would be responsible for rectifying all such damages.

13.

The developer shall attend to necessary works as may be suggested by the department from time to time at his cost and within the time limit fixed by the the Superintending Department. The decision of Engineer, Irrigation, shall be final on all

such matters. Failure to execute the works suggested by the department by the developer at his cost entails cancellation of "No Objection Certificate" forfeiture of deposits and the

expenditure incurred by the department in maintaining the River / canal and the river banks including protection -works is recoverable from the developer.
14.

The developer shall attend to necessary works at his own cost to maintain the River / canal and River banks including protection works to avoid meandering of river, scouring and shoaling of the adjoining lands.

15.

The operation of Mini Hydel Schemes shall not be detrimental to the water regulation of envisaged ayacut and flows to lower down reservoirs and Irrigation & CAD Department shall have the right to cancel the permission.

Suggestions and Objections on the above guidelines may be sent to the Engineer-in-Chief (Irrigation), 2nd floor , Jalasoudha, Errummanzil, Hyderabad- 82 or may be sent to the Email Id : enc_major@yahoo.co.in