NAGALAND’S POWER SCENE: Power officers fear darker days if ‘ageing’ machineries are not replaced

Kohima Bureau
Kohima, April 20 (EMN): While the current peak demand for electricity in Nagaland stands at around 150 MW, the demand is expected to touch 400 MW by the year 2025 – representing ‘a big challenge’ to the Power department in absence of proper infrastructure.

This concern was expressed by Rokozhalie Angami, chief engineer (T&G) during a meeting that was conducted with the advisor to the Power department Tovihoto Ayemi on April 20. The existing facilities are ‘overloaded’; and ‘aged’ extra high voltage (EVH) substations are not enough to meet even the current demand, he said.

The chief engineer cited as a case in point the previous year’s incident at Dimapur when damage caused to two power transformers at Nagarjan sub-station plunged the district into darkness. He questioned if the state’s government can afford similar crises in the future by leaving existing facilities unattended.

It was for want of maintenance that many ‘expensive and major equipments’ get damaged, he said. According to him fund allocation to the department over the years has remained ‘insignificant’— despite raising concerns repeatedly to the state government—when compared to the assets it is expected to maintain and operate daily.

Stating further that ‘special attention and top priority’ should be given to the Power department, Angami asserted that ‘the state planning machinery should build up the requisite infrastructure in the generation, transmission and distribution sectors through various central and state programmes.’

The chief engineer informed that ‘on completion of the ongoing transmission line projects and projects under North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project, we should be in a position to meet the required demand’.

The officer informed also that the 132/33 KV sub-station at Sanis in Wokha with the transmission line connecting Doyang HE Project and Wokha had been completed. It has been in operation since October 19 2017. With this, he said, Kohima was now connected with an alternative source from the grid.

An additional 4×8 MVA 132/33 KV sub-station at Kohima, Rokozhalie Angami said, is in ‘trial operation’ since December 22 2017 till date from which Kohima district now have stable power supply. Otherwise, there was ‘load-shedding’ (outage) in spite of power being available at the grid.

The officer informed further that the state government has considered installation of 100 MVA 132/33 KV transformer at the Nagarjan sub-station in Dimapur. The transformer, he said, is expected to be delivered by the end May 2018.

In the generation sector, he said the 24 MW Zungki and 42 MW Lower Tizu HEPs are found to be feasible and substantial among the identified Hydro potential sites while the DPR for the 24MW Zungki HEP with a project cost of INR 288 cr. is ready and the proposal for Lower Tizu has been sent to ministry of Power for consideration along with the Detailed Project Report.

The officer has requested the advisor to accord top priority to early implementation of said projects by ensuring ‘the financial tie-up for funding.’

The president of the Association of Power Engineers of Nagaland (APEN), Shikato Sema, also opined that while the power sector in other parts of the country is considered a priority sector and recognised as an ‘engine for growth,’ the department in the state is forced to maintain power supply with ‘hardly any support and (with) meagre resources’ for the past several years.

Sema said, ‘For years, we have been managing on credit, beg and borrow of materials mode, for maintenance.’ he pointed out that the assets in every town and village require operation and maintenance while the personnel are 24×7 duty. He hoped the advisor would look into the grievances.

Likewise, the president of the All Nagaland Electricity Field Workers Association, Ayeto Sumi, highlighted shortage of manpower and the urgent need to replace outdated materials, some of which, he said even dates back to 1978.

Describing the field workers as the backbone of the Power department, Sumi pointed out that they bear the brunt of public hostility in the event of power cuts caused mostly by ‘outdated’ machinery.

Legislator Ayemi has appreciated the department for managing to function in spite of stated problems. He has assured to look into their grievances ‘in every way that can be possible.’ He urged for coordination among officers and staff and that they deliver their best in the service of the people.

Reiterating the People’s Democratic Alliance government’s 100-days target programmes, Ayemi asserted that the government will deliver its best in whatever way possible in all the departments and ‘bring improvement.’

The department has given awards to ten metre-readers and eight bill assistants. The award carries a cash prize of INR 5000 and a citation each. The best revenue performing district was awarded to Mokokchung district. The award carried a cash prize of INR 20,000 and a citation.