Fostering Small Cottage Industries in Rural India

The beautiful forests of Haripani and Silagarth lie in the mountain ranges surrounding the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, province of India.

Local villages of the Kullu District who have historically relied on wood burning are now able to access electricity from a reliable and clean 3.0 MW capacity run-of-river hydro electric power plant, ensuring the protection of these valuable areas.

The small scale project was established in line with the priorities of Government of India’s 10th 5 year plan to reduce reliance on dirtier coal and fossil fuel based energy sources, and creates non-agricultural jobs in rural areas. The project is also helping create a number of small, cottage based industries in adjoining villages.

As a run-of-river project, no water is stored with electricity produced via the river’s natural flow. This ensures there is minimal impact on the surrounding environment and local communities. The Bargaran Mini Hydro project will reduce 124,617 tonnes of CO2e over its lifetime and adheres to the strict methodologies of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).