Photo Courtesy: nenow
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh wants to power remote border villages using heat from the earth. Science and Technology Minister Dasanglu Pul visited the ONGC Geothermal Project in Ladakh’s Puga Valley on Saturday to study drilling and power generation. She went with CESHS director Tana Tage and department geologists to learn how to handle high-altitude Himalayan conditions.
The state identified 10 to 15 MW of potential in the Mago-Thingbu belt. Scientists have studied these resources for years. In March 2024, the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies teamed up with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and Geotropy to map hot springs in Mago and Thingbu. They want to use this energy for electricity, heating, cooling, and drying crops.
CESHS and Oil India Limited are currently running pre-feasibility studies. They have finished surface and subsurface work in Mago, Thingbu, Damteng, and Tsechu. Field teams also gathered geochemical samples from five sites including Grengkhar. Pul credited ONGC and partner SEROS for their technical guidance during the site tour.
The Minister stressed the importance of these local resources for the state. "Arunachal Pradesh is blessed with immense natural resources, and we endeavour to harness this potential responsibly for a sustainable future," Pul said. She believes these lessons will help bring power to strategically vital border zones.
Comments