What is Sidrapong Hydel Power Station?
'''Sidrapong Hydroelectric Power Station''' (a.k.a. '''Sidrapong Hydel Power Station'''), located {{convert|12|km|abbr=on}} from [[Darjeeling]] town, is the oldest [[hydroelectric power plant]] in India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sidrapong Hydel Power Station(3X 200 KW)|url=http://wbpower.nic.in/sidra.htm|access-date=2022-02-26|archive-date=2015-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407011251/http://www.wbpower.nic.in/sidra.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Opened on 10 November 1897, its original capacity was 2&nbsp;×&nbsp;65&nbsp;kW, which was expanded to a total 1000&nbsp;kW in 1916. Having reached the limit of the water supply, the equipment was replaced in 1931 for triple-phase transmission. The station uses water from the streams Kotwali, Hospital and Barbatia, moved through a network of [[flume]]s to reservoirs, then passed down {{convert|220|m|adj=on}} [[penstock]]s to the generators. [[West Bengal State Electricity Board]] (WBSEB) took over operation of the station and Darjeeling Electric Supply in 1978. In the 1980s, the station was damaged due to a landslide and remained closed for a decade, but was re-opened in 1997. == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Buildings and structures in West Bengal]] [[Category:Dams in Asia]] [[Category:Economy of India]] {{asia-stub}}