BIG POWER PROJECT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3378, 13 June 1927, Page 2

BIG POWER PROJECT.

India, not to he outdone by Canada in conserving its natural ' water power resources, has recently started construction mi a hydro-electric plant at Pykara, the Summer seat of the. Madras Government, states the New York “Times..” Those who negotiated the plans, headed by Lord Go-.chen, the Governor of Mad raj, have convinced themselves of the • extraordinary possibilities of the Pykara River, ■ yilsi its falls of 3000 ft where it drops from the Nilgiri plateau into the plain. R is proposed to build a clam 164 ft high. This will give a water spread of ricariv three miles, and, at full lake level, will impound about 4,000.000 cubic feet. '

It ,is estimated that the power available nil amount to 116,000,000 kilowatts each ear. It is expected to sell this power o_ municipalities, railroads, and indusrio.s.

The dam at Pykara is to be constructed to discharge the surplus, in addition to the normal discharge to be utilised for the development of power, through sluices in the body of the dam, which will he' pierced. A weir, three miles down the river, will pi -]■; up the supply needed for the generation of power. The water will then be conveyed by a channel to a small reservoir formed by two earth darns built at ca di end of a hollow on one side of Dio rood leading to Pykara Falls. This reservoir or forebay, as it is called, will litivo

11 storage capa ;ity of 85,000.C0D cubic feet. In the event of'tlio main sluices being temporarily dosed, this auxiliary reservoir

will be able to keep the supply go urn with out a break. ‘ °

•i be Pykara project, it is expected, will

ho completed within two years! A smaller project, to bo developed and eventually connected with it, the Moyar system, wiii take another year to complete. Tire pinn tor utilising the Moyar River will result hi only 10.000 killowatts, obtained from using again the waters already used ~1 Pykara. Hu; water from the Pykara power-house will be taken by a channel bo constructed for the purpose to another .Small river, then through a lower power-house to be built on the banks of the Moyar River. The power generated here will he transmit ted to the Pykara power station, so that in the end the two developments will form a single complete whole. The two projects together ''.'ill cost the Government about 28.CCD.bCO mpees.