Kullu – The 126 MW Larji Hydroelectric Power Project in Kullu district has been fully restored and is now operational once again, after suffering extensive damage during the devastating Beas River floods on July 9 and 10, 2023. The swift revival of the project, completed in less than two years, was made possible through timely intervention and strong financial support from the State Government, helping avert major financial losses.
The government initially allocated Rs. 25 crore for emergency restoration. This was followed by an additional Rs. 35 crore and later Rs. 185.87 crore for the complete rehabilitation of the power station. The Chief Minister commended the engineers and staff of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) for their dedicated efforts to restore the project.
The restoration was executed in a phased manner. Unit I of the Larji project was restarted on January 15, 2024, and synchronised with the power grid on May 2, 2024. Unit II was restored on August 9, 2024, and Unit III resumed operation on January 17, 2025. With all three units now generating electricity, the project has fully resumed power production.
The floods in 2023 led to heavy deposition of muck and debris deep inside the turbine units, rendering them non-functional for several months. Since mechanical clearance was not possible, the removal was carried out manually, requiring meticulous and continuous effort.
To reduce future risks from natural disasters, several preventive steps have been implemented. Slope stabilisation work has been completed near the surge shaft gates and is currently underway at the powerhouse entrance. This includes the installation of cable nets and rockfall barriers to mitigate risks from landslides and falling debris.
A Hinged Gate has been installed at the Main Access Tunnel (MAT) to prevent water from entering the system during high floods. A similar gate is being constructed at the Emergency Exit Tunnel (EET), supported by civil works to create a watertight structure.
The 2023 flood had a discharge of 5600 cumecs in the Beas River, significantly higher than the major flood of August 3, 1953, which had a discharge of 3838.37 cumecs. This underlines the intensity of the disaster and the scale of the challenge that engineers faced in restoring the Larji project.
