Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (27 December) Inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of hydropower projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, said an official release.

The hydropower projects launched by PM Modi include Luhri Stage 1 Hydro Power Project and Dhaulasidh Hydro Power Project and Renukaji Dam project.

The Rs 6,700-crore Renuka ji dam project on the Giri river in Sirmaur district, once completed, is expected to generate 200 million units of energy in a surface power house with 40 MW installed capacity, reports Indian Express.

The Luhri Stage 1 hydropower project is slated to be commissioned by January 2026 and will have a generation capacity of 210 megawatt (MW). It will be built on the Sutlej river and is expected to cost over Rs 1,810 crore.

The Dhaulasidh hydropower project, which is being built on Beas river, will have a generation capacity of 66 MW. The project is expected to be built at a cost of around Rs 687 crore. It is likely to be commissioned by around November 2025.

On the occasion, PM Modi said that ‘ease of living’ of the people of the country is one of the foremost priorities and electricity plays a huge role in this.

Hydro-power projects launched today reflect India’s commitment to eco-friendly development, he said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the speed with which India is meeting its environment related goals.

“In 2016, India had set a target to meet 40 percent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030. Today every Indian will be proud that India has achieved this goal in November this year itself," he said, according to a PMO release.

"The whole world is praising India, for how our country is accelerating development while saving the environment. From solar power to hydro power, from wind power to green hydrogen, the country is working continuously to make full use of every resource of renewable energy”, PM Modi added.