(Feature Image: Submerged powerhouse of Jiwa SHP in Siund, Sainj. Source: Amar Ujala)
A massive flash flood following a ‘cloudburst’ has totally damaged the powerhouse and weir site of the Jiwa Small Hydroelectric Project (SHP) in Sainj Valley of Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh on June 25, 2025. The powerhouse of 1 Mw SHP is located in Siund village area near the confluence point of Jiwa nullah with Pin Parbati river. Its weir site is located about 2 km upstream on the Jiwa stream.
The SHP is developed by Chevron Hydel Pvt. Ltd. The construction work of the project started in April 2003 and it was commissioned in December 2006. Pin Parbati is also known as Sainj and Siund river. It joins Beas River near Aut about 25 km downstream where 126 Mw Larji dam is built.
The incident happened in the afternoon hours in the upper catchment area of Jiwa nullah. This Face Book video shows the stream swollen dangerously with huge amounts of muck and wood logs causing severe floods around Siund downstream. It also shows the powerhouse of the project completely submerged under flood water with only the tin roof top visible. As per locals the desilting tank, trench weir, other protective structures and part of pilepine of the project at diversion site and switch yard, generator, transmission lines at powerhourse site of the project have been washed away in the disaster.
The workers at the powerhouse managed to leave the site moment before the deluge reached there. Official information on the full extent of damages to the project and financial losses incurred is still not available in the public domain. Given the massive damages the restoration of the project is uncertain.
Past Issues: Just six month back the workers of Jiwa SHP had protested against the project authority for deducting their half salaries without prior information. The project has employed 17 workers and the company cited lack of power generation due to nonavailability of water as a reason behind the decision.
As per Hariram Chaudhary a local reporter in Sainj, the project faced deline in water supply after the Jiwa stream was tapped upstream in feeder tunnel by NHPC for its Parbati II hydro project in Siund few years back.
In August 2022, the Darmeda villagers suffered losses worth lakhs of rupees after the main pipeline of Jiwa SHP suffered a burst due to a landslide incident and flooded several homes and farmlands of the villagers.
Initially, a total 4 SHPs of total 12.25 Mw were allotted in the Jiwa stream of which only this has been developed so far.
Other Damages: The deluge has significantly damaged the private and public infrastructures along a 25 km stretch of Sainj and Larji area. Three people from Rehla Bihal village went missing after being washed away in the flood. The disaster also damaged 5 houses in Behali, 7-foot bridges, several vehicles and local roads in the area.
Impact on other hydro projects: In addition to powerhouse of Jiwa SHP, the deluge has impacted the NHPC’s Parbati II and III hydro projects and HPPCL’s 100 Mw Sainj hydro electric-power project (HEP) about which we will separately report.
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