Bauer Engineering India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, has been commissioned by Jaiprakash Associates Limited to carry out specialist foundation engineering and geotechnical work for the Teesta VI Hydro Electric project in India.

Developed by M/s Lanco Teesta Hydro Power Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Hydro Power Corporation of India, the project is located in the town of Singtam on the Teesta River. This river, which is over 300 km long, rises from the Pahunri Glacier at an altitude of more than 7,000 m in the eastern Himalayas before flowing through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal until it joins the Jamuna River at Fulchhari in Bangladesh.

The scope of work for Bauer Engineering India includes construction of an anchored pile wall, consisting of around 10,000 running meters of piles with a diameter of 800 mm, plus around 60,000 running meters of anchors. The anchored pile wall will enable a 40 m deep excavation for the intake structure on the right bank.

Along the upstream cofferdam, 4,700 sq m of grout curtain will be constructed using the jet grouting technique. In two individual stages on the upstream side of the barrage, 4,600 sq m of diaphragm wall will be built using a trench cutter through the bouldary alluvium after pre-treatment.

“Due to the special location of the Teesta River, it is proving challenging to both harness hydropower and also protect local residents against flooding,” said Harish Agarwal, senior vice president of Jaiprakash Associates Limited.

Another challenge is the limited space on site due to the relatively narrow valley and steep slopes as well as working in close proximity to an existing barrage. Construction work will also be performed through substantial bouldary strata and under erratic flooding pattern in the river.

The work executed by Bauer started in April this year and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024.

Image: Bauer Group