Damodar Valley Corporation

The Damodar Valley Corporation, popularly known as DVC, is the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India. The corporation came into being on July 7, 1948 by an Act of the Constituent Assembly of India (Act No. XIV of 1948). ^[1] It is modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority of the USA. Jawaharlal Nehru, prime minister of India, Dr. B.C.Roy, chief minister of West Bengal and Sri Krishna Sinha, chief minister of Bihar, took personal interest to ensure early success of the project.

The initial focus of the DVC were flood control, irrigation, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, eco-conservation and afforestation, as well as job creation for the socio-economic well being of the people residing in and around areas affected by DVC projects. However, over the past few decades, power generation has gained priority. Other objectives of the DVC, however, remain part of its primary responsibility. The dams in the valley have a capacity to moderate peak floods of 650,000 to 250,000 ft³/s. DVC has created irrigation potential of 3640 square kilometres.

The first dam was built across the Barakar River, a tributary of the Damodar River at Tilaiya 1953. The second one, Konar Dam, was built across the Konar River, another tributary of the Damodar River at Konar in 1955. Two dams across the rivers Barakar and Damodar were built at Maithon in 1957 and Panchet in 1959. Both the dams are some 8 km upstream of the confluence point of the rivers. These four major dams are controlled by DVC. Durgapur Barrage was constructed downstream of the four dams in 1955, across the Damodar river at Durgapur in 1955, with head regulators for canals on either side for feeding an extensive system of canals and distributaries. ^{[2] [3]} In 1978, the Government of Bihar (that was before the formation of the state of Jharkhand) constructed the Tenughat Dam across the Damodar river outside the control of DVC.^[4] DVC proposes to construct a dam across the Barakar river at Belpahari in Jharkhand state.^[5] There are hydro-electric power stations at Tilayia, Maithon and Panchet, with total installed capacity of 144 MW. The one at Maithon was India's first underground hydro-electric power station. ^[6]

DVC operates thermal power stations at Bokaro, Chandrapura, Durgapur and Mejia, with total derated capacity of 2745 MW. The power station at Bokaro was biggest in the country when it was built in the fifties. DVC is expanding its thermal power capacity and with the completion of its present plans by 2012 it would be generating more than 11000 MW of power. The forthcoming projects are Raghunathpur TPS (4x600 MW), Andal TPS (2x500 MW), Koderma TPS (2x500 MW), Maithan RB TPS (2x525 MW) and Bokaro A TPS (1x600 MW)and Bokaro Steel City TPS (3x250 MW)^[7][8]

The total valley area covered by DVC activities is approximately 24,235 square kilometres The upper valley consists of the districts of Hazaribagh, Koderma, Giridih, Chatra, Dhanbad and Bokaro, and some sections of Palamau, Ranchi, Lohardaga and Dumka districts in the state of Jharkhand. The lower valley consists of the two districts of Bardhaman and Hughli, and some areas of the Howrah, Bankura, and Purulia districts in the state of West Bengal.^[9].DVC will produce 11,000 MWatt Of power by 2012.

The Corporation has its Head Office at Kolkata (previously Calcutta), has a full time Chairman and two part-time members, generally the Secretary of the Power Dept., of the states of West Bengal and Bihar representing their respective states.

DVC made unprecedented progress during 2000 - 2005 when its profit rose from around 100 crores to 1000 crores. Major initiatives taken during these periods included NTPC driven root cause analysis and improvement plan,implementation of preventive maintenance plan, awareness about pollution control measures, establishmnt of robust Information Technology infrastructure plan under guidance of high profile IITian Mr Rajeev Agarwal, programme for realiasation of dues from BSEB,tying up for JV with Tata, harsh punishment to tainted and irresponsible employees and officers. The then president of DVC Engineers Association Mr Ghosh & Mr Jain along with Mr K.Sahu, president OCO (Officers Coordination Organisation) played a pivotal role in this turn-around.During this period the whooping 30% field compensatory allowance was given to the employees along with incentive scheme. Mr A.K. Basu was CEO of DVC during the period and Mr Jaitley was chairman.

In-organic and unstructured expansion plan after 2006 is putting the organisation under pressure to cut its profit margins drastically to comply with statutory tariff norms.

References

• Homepage of DVC
• DVC, Power Utilities in West Bengal

Notes

1. ^ DVC Act
2. ^ DVC Overview
3. ^ DVC Dams
4. ^ DVC Case Study
5. ^ The Hindu Report on Belpahari
6. ^ DVC Landmarks
7. ^ DVC Power Plants
8. ^ The Telegraph report on power plants
9. ^ DVC Infrastructure