Sonowal institutes probe into NEEPCO’s water pipeline rupture

Guwahati, Oct. 11 (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered an inquiry into rupture of water pipeline in NEEPCO’s Kopili Hydel Power Project in Dima Hasao district, official sources said on Friday.

In view of the incident in North Eastern Electric Power Corporations (NEEPCO) project in Umngsu, leading to damage of properties in the power plant, the chief minister instituted an inquiry by DIG South Assam Division P K Dutta, said a government release here.

The chief minister also asked Minister in charge of Hill Areas Development, Mines and Minerals- Sum Ronghang- to visit the accident site with a high-powered team to take stock of the situation.

The team will also have local MP Haren Sing Bay, MLAs- B B Hagjer and Dr Nomal Momin- Chief Executive Member of Dima Haso Autonomous Council Debolal Gorlosa, the release said.

Sonowal held a meeting with the senior officers of state-run NEEPCO during the day and took first hand information about the incident.

He also asked them to take technology driven remedial steps to avert recurrence of such incidents in the future.

Hill Areas Development minister, Additional Chief Secretary Home and Political Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Chairman APDCL Vinod Kumar Pipersenia, Chief Ministers Principal Secretary Sanjay Lohiya and the officers of NEEPCO were present at the meeting, the release added.

The three officials of NEEPCO and one worker, who were feared trapped inside a pump house, remain untraced and could not be rescued even after five days of the burst in a pipeline at the hydro-power plant due to non receding of water level, according to Dima Hasao Deputy Commissioner- Amitabh Rajkhowa.

The NEEPCO authorities expect that the water level will take two to three more days to recede and after that a thorough rescue operation can be launched to trace the missing persons.