Salal Tunnel Tender: NHPC Diversion cum Sediment Bypass Tunnel at Reasi (Rs 267.94 Cr)

NHPC is driving a new diversion cum sediment bypass tunnel at its Salal power station in Reasi to clear silt out of the reservoir and reopen the dam construction sluices, and the ₹267.94 crore Salal tunnel tender closes at 5:30 PM on 16 December 2026.

Why an old dam needs a new tunnel

The contract is for construction of a new diversion cum sediment bypass tunnel for restoration of the concrete dam construction sluices and sediment management of the Salal reservoir. The Contract-Civil wing at NHPC corporate office in Faridabad is inviting bids under reference NH/CCW/CCIII/CO-466/PR10326/31, with 882 days allowed on an item rate contract.

Salal has been running on the Chenab since the 1980s and its reservoir has silted up heavily. A sediment bypass tunnel lets the river carry its silt load past the dam instead of dropping it in front of the intake, which protects turbine life and restores storage. The sluices that were used while the dam was being built are being brought back into service as part of the same job.

Terms and the working window

EMD is ₹3,00,00,000 with no exemption, a little over 1 per cent of the ₹2,67,94,00,000 estimate, and the tender fee is just ₹10,000. The notice went up on 20 May 2026 and bids open at 3:30 PM on 18 December 2026. The 882 day period spans two and a half years, which fits tunnelling that has to pause when the Chenab runs high.

NHPC has a far larger civil package open at the same time, the Link-3 barrage and intake works in Himachal Pradesh. Tunnelling contractors in the union territory can also look at the Sinthan Pass twin tube tunnel tender.

Tunnel plant on a working power station

This is drill and blast work in Himalayan rock with a live power station next door, so vibration limits and blast windows are part of the method statement. The portal face needs an excavator and a wheel loader handling muck, with tippers running to an approved dump that has to survive the monsoon.

Inside, the job runs on a drill jumbo, shotcrete plant and steady concrete for the lining, which means mixers batching to a tunnel schedule rather than a building one. A crane handles gate and steel liner sections at the intake and outfall. Access roads to both portals need a compactor and regular grading through the work.

Key facts

How to apply

1. Open the official portal: Central Public Procurement Portal.
2. Search by tender ID 2026_NHPC_909568_1 (reference no. NH/CCW/CCIII/CO-466/PR10326/31) under NHPC Limited.
3. Register on the portal and keep a valid Class III digital signature certificate ready.
4. Download the bid document and the geological reports, check the blasting restrictions near the live station, then confirm the ₹3,00,00,000 EMD and the ₹10,000 fee.
5. Submit your bid online before 16 December 2026, 5:30 PM.

Machines for this kind of work: Bridges and Tunnels: machines, models and comparisons

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