Kochi: After a quarter of a century of waiting and controversies, Pallivasal, Kerala's first hydroelectric project, is set to assume a dual role. Indications suggest that the Pallivasal Extension Power Project will be commissioned next month.

As part of the preparations for electricity generation, authorities have been filling the newly completed three-and-a-half-kilometre-long tunnel with water. This is a significant step towards the operationalisation of the extension project.

The Pallivasal Extension, the largest hydroelectric project currently under construction in the state, is expected to generate 60 MW of electricity, producing approximately 15 crore units annually.

The original Pallivasal project was commissioned in 1940 with an installed capacity of 37.5 MW. Water from Mattupetty Dam situated near the Muthirapuzha River in Munnar would be brought to the old Ramaswamy Aiyar Headworks Dam, for generating electricity. In 2001, the state government approved the Pallivasal Extension to boost electricity generation.

The project, initially estimated to cost Rs 175.86 crore, has now ballooned to Rs 480 crore. "Mathrubhumi" reported in December last year about the impending commissioning of three projects, including the Pallivasal extension. The extension was originally slated for commissioning in 2011. However, due to multiple delays, the High Court mandated that the project be completed by December 2022.