Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 28: In what could be an extraordinary situation, which may have not been noticed in any part of the country, two turbines of a hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir have been under forced shut down despite being in a position to generate electricity. This is mainly because of the reason that the concerned authorities of the State have failed to lay network of strong distribution lines required to withstand the load of actual consumption of the people.
This unusual situation is prevailing in Leh district, where National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has constructed 45 Mega Watt Nimoo Basgo project. Though all the three units—each having capacity to generate 15 Mega Watts of electricity are in ready to use position, only one is being used for electricity generation as feeble 11 KV network is preventing people from consuming electricity beyond one or two bulbs.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that 11 KV network, which is presently being put to use in major parts of the Leh district was laid down when diesel sets were the only source of providing electricity to the people and if the optimum benefit of the Nimoo Basgo project has to be taken this network has to be strengthened and upgraded.
“Though the Power Development Department of the State was aware that NHPC was constructing Nimoo Basgo project yet it didn’t take the issue of laying of distribution network seriously over the years as a result of which all the three units of the project are ready but the sufficient and upgraded distribution network is missing”, sources said.
Disclosing that present consumption of entire Leh including Army installations remain restricted to 8 to 13 Mega Watts, sources said, “as the people cannot increase the consumption despite availability of electricity due to weak 11 KV network even one turbine gets tripped a number of times because of less load”. “Though in 60 percent villages of the Leh, the NHPC has laid 66 KV transmission lines under Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) yet the same is not of any major help as even in these villages PDD has not strengthened 11 KV network”, sources added.
Responding to a question, they said, “even those areas where solar power is being supplied to the people the network is not strong enough to take the load of electricity being generated from the Nimoo Basgo project”, adding “this clearly indicates lack of vision and proper planning on the part of Power Development Department, which otherwise, should have left no stone unturned to have complete network in place prior to the commissioning of the project”.
“What to talk to upgrading 11 KV network, the Power Development Department is not even ready to take over 66 KV network from the NHPC on the ground that it lacks sufficient manpower”, sources informed. “If the PDD cannot strengthen 11 KV network and take over 66 KV network for maintenance then for what the officers and officials of the Department have been posted there”, sources asked.
When contacted, Development Commissioner Power, Asgar Ali said, “the staff for the Sub-Transmission Divisions—one each for Leh and Kargil districts, which were approved by the State Cabinet in the recent past, has yet not been posted”, adding “as and when the staff is posted we will take over 66 KV line from the NHPC”.
About the inordinate delay in strengthening 11 KV network, he said, “we have sent the Detailed Project Reports to the concerned authorities but the same are yet to be approved. Moreover, increase in power consumption will take time and hopefully by that DPRs would be cleared”.
According to the sources, 44 Mega Watts Chutuk hydroelectric project in Kargil, which is also nearing completion, would also meet the same fate as transmission and distribution network has not received required focus of the concerned authorities there also.
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