The Development of Jamrani Multipurpose Project in India from a multilateral development bank perspective

Abstract

The State of Uttarakhand in India has been studying the Jamrani Multipurpose Project in the last 40 years. The government’s feasibility study has been completed and all statutory clearances were obtained. It comprises the construction of a 150-meter-high roller compacted concrete dam across the Gola River, a 14-megawatt toe powerhouse, the expansion and modernization of irrigation canal systems and a drinking water component. The project benefits will include 117 million liters per day drinking water for Haldwani Town, increased water availability for 150,000 ha cultivable command area and annual energy generation of 63 gigawatt-hour as a byproduct. The project is estimated to cost $365 million and was proposed in 2019 for the Asian Development Bank’s financial assistance. A memorandum of understanding was signed in 2018 between the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, defining how the cost and benefits will be shared. The paper will discuss the ADB project appraisal process and describe the steps being taken to confirm and enhance the project economic feasibility, improve the mitigation of environmental and social impacts and review and confirm the technical studies.