The Asian Development Bank has finally sanctioned an 800-million-dollar loan to help the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to expand hydro power generation with a series of projects in the western Himalayas. 

With the help of the eight-year loan package, Himachal Pradesh plans to utilize five major rivers to build hydropower plants, which will provide a combined capacity of 808 megawatts.
 
Manila-based lender (ADB) and Himachal Pradesh government have identified two projects ready for financing through the first loan tranche of 150 million dollars for constructing the 111MW Sawra Kuddu project on the Pabber river, and civil works for the 65MW Kashang I project. 

ADB stated in a press release that mountainous area's power generation potential is 20,415MW about 25% of India's total hydropower potential, out of which only 6,150MW has been developed.