Estimate (8.907) square to 1 significant figure…..Urgent answer needed!

When Uttarakhand was formed in 2000, it was envisaged as an ‘Urja Pradesh’ (power state) because of its high hydropower potential.However, hydropower projects in the state have escalated social, economic and ecological vulnerability to natural disasters, writes Jeet Singh in this commentary.Uttarakhand has an estimated potential of 24,551 MW of hydropower but has been able to identify and process projects of only about 16,000 MW capacity so far. The state is still dependent on importing power generated outside the state.The views expressed in this commentary are that of the author.Urja Pradesh (power state) has been the slogan for infrastructure development in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, ever since it came into existence in 2000. Over the years, more than 100 hydropower projects were initiated in different river valleys of the state. However, the planning, construction and operation of many of these projects are not free from cultural, ecological and economic controversies. Recently, these projects were also accused of escalating the impact of natural disasters as well.Currently, 37 hydropower projects are operational in the state and 87 more projects are in different stages of planning and construction. The government’s vision of the Urja Pradesh was to make the state energy surplus so that it can sell energy to other states, generate employment for local people and strengthen its own revenue base. To what extent these promises have been fulfilled in the last 20 years is worth a question to ponder over.Generating power more than its domestic demand is at the core of the Urja Pradesh slogan. So far, a total installed capacity of 3,971 megawatts (MW) energy is generated in a year at the 37 hydropower projects being operated by different agencies in the state. Another 9,008 MW of installed capacity is expected with the upcoming 87 hydropower projects in Uttarakhand.