TRANSPORT

Air
Himachal has three domestic airports in Kangra, Kullu and Shimla districts. The air routes connect the state with Delhi and Chandigarh.
• Bhuntar Airport is in Kullu district, around 10 kilometres (6 mi) from district headquarters.
• Gaggal Airport is in Kangra district, around 15 kilometres (9 mi) from district headquarters at Dharamshala, which is around 10 kilometres from Kangra.
• Shimla Airport is around 21 kilometres (13 mi) west of the city.

Railway
Himachal is known for its narrow-gauge railways. One is the Kalka-Shimla Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and another is the Pathankot-Jogindernagar line. The total length of these two tracks is 259 kilometres (161 mi). The Kalka-Shimla Railway passes through many tunnels, while the Pathankot–Jogindernagar meanders through a maze of hills and valleys. The state also has broad-gauge railway track, which connects Amb and Una (district headquarters of Una district) to Delhi. A survey is being conducted to extend this railway line to Hamirpur. The total route length of the operational railway network in the state is 296.26 kilometres (184.09 mi). Other proposed railways in the state are Dharamsala-Palampur, Baddi-Chandigarh and Bilaspur-Manali-Leh.

Road
Roads are the major mode of transport in the hilly terrains. The state has road network of 28,208 kilometres (17,528 mi), including eight National Highways (NH) that constitute 1,234 kilometres (767 mi) and 19 State Highways with a total length of 1,625 kilometres (1,010 mi). Hamirpur district has the highest road density in the country. Some roads get closed during winter and monsoon seasons due to snow and landslides. The state-owned Himachal Road Transport Corporation with a fleet of over 3,100, operates bus services connecting important cities and towns with the villages within the state and also on various interstate routes. In addition, around 3,000 private buses run by various operators also ply in the state.

Power Generation
Himachal Pradesh is extremely rich in its hydroelectricity resources. The state is having about twenty five percent of the national potential in this aspect. It has been estimated that about 27,436 MW of hydel power can be generated in the state by the construction of various hydel projects on the five perennial river basins no matter they are major, medium or small. Out of total hydel potential of the state, 3,421 MW is harnessed so far, out of which only 7.6% is under the control of Himachal Pradesh Government while the rest being exploited by the Central Government. The state government has been giving the highest priority for its development, since hydel generation can meet the growing need of power for industry, agriculture and rural electrification. It is also the biggest source of income to the state as it provides electricity to the other states also.

Girinagar Hydel Project
Situated on the river Giri of the Sirmour District, Girinagar Hydel project has an installed capacity of 60 MW, with 2 units of 30 MW each. This project, which is run-off-the-river scheme comes under HPSEB and is operational for 29 years.

Binwa Hydel Project
The project with an installed capacity office 16 MW comprising 3 units each, is located near Baijnath in District Kangra. The project is situated 25 km from Palampur and 14 km from Baijnath is constructed at an elevation of 1515 meters above the mean sea level. This project constitutes a 62 meters long tunnel that connects trench weirs in Banu Khad and Prahal Khud.

Sanjay Vidyut Pariyojna
Located in the Kinnaur district, on the river Bhaba is a completely underground project with an installed capacity of 120 MW, comprising 3 units each of 40 MW. The uniqueness of this project lies in its underground switchyard, a feature that no other hydel project in Asia can brag about. Completed in 1989-90, the estimated cost was about 167 crore rupees. The total length of tunnels including those secured in after completing the project is 12 km.

Bassi Hydroelectric Project
Bassi project (66 MW) is an extension of Beas Power House (Mandi District) constituting 4 units of 16.5 MW each. It utilizes the tail water of Shanon Power House of Joginder Nagar project and generates 145 MW per annum.

Larji Hydroelectric Project
Larji hydroelectric project is on river Beas in Kullu district with an installed capacity of 126 MW. The project was completed in September 2007.

Andhra Hydel Project
Commissioned during the year 1987-88, the project has 3 units of 5.5 MW which makes it 16.5 MW of installed capacity. It is located in Rohru tehsil of Shimla district. The cost of the project was estimated to be around 9.74 crores, generating 89 MW per annum and it transmitting to the state grid via the Neogli power house near Rampur.

Rongtong Hydel Project
Rongtong is a 2 MW project that is located in the Lahaul-Spiti district on Rongtong Nullaha, a tributary of Spiti river. Located at an elevation of 3,600 metres in a snow adhered region, this was the first hydel project executed for the socio-economic upliftment of the tribals of this area. It is one of the highest in the world. The snow fed water runnel tapped at an elevation of 3,788 meters. is diverted through 2,825 meters. long channel and 259 meters. long tunnel into an open reservoir with a capacity of 14,000 cubic meters. Renovated by APE Power Pvt. Ltd., APE Power also renovate RUKTI (4 x 375 KW) Hydro Electric project.

Baner and Neugal Project
With the combined installed capacity of 12 MW the projects are situated on Baner and Neugal streams respectively in Kangra District. Both of the streams emerge from Dhauladharand join Beas in the form of tributaries in south.

Nathpa Jhakri Project
One of the major project on the Sutlej river is the Nathpa Jhakri Dam which generates nearly 1500 MW of electricity. The project is funded by World Bank. Its construction cost is around 8000 crores.

Sainj Hydroelectric Project
Installed Capacity 100 MW. [2×50 MW]

Bhakra Dam
The Bhakra Dam has the first Dam to have come up on the Satluj river, it is one of the highest gravity dams in the world and has an Installed capacity of 1325 MW. The dam holds excess waters during the monsoon and provides a regulated release during the year. It also prevents damage due to monsoon floods. The dam provides irrigation to 10 million acres (40,000 km²) of fields in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.