GUWAHATI, Sep 13: The North Eastern Regional Power Committee (NERPC) in its 20th meeting on Thursday approved the 132 kv double-circuit transmission line from Lower Dibang Valley HQ Roing to Chapakhowa in Assam.
This line will be the second injection point from the Northeast region (NER) grid to the Ranganadi Hydro Electric Project.
The committee has also approved in principle (subject to clearance from the
North Eastern Regional Standing Committee on Transmission), the 220 kv double-circuit transmission line from Kathalguri to Namsai. This line will be the third injection point from the NER grid.
Attending the NERPC meeting here in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy CM Chowna Mein requested the committee and the power grid to expedite the process of construction of the 132 kv double-circuit transmission line from Roing to Chapakhowa (Assam) and the 220 kv double-circuit transmission line from Kathalguri to Namsai.
“Once completed, this transmission line will improve the reliability of the grid system in the state. Such smaller interconnections between states would be indispensable at times of grid contingencies and shutdown planning,” Mein said.
He said availability of more interconnections “would give more flexibility of grid management, and this will also improve the state’s available transfer capability.”
The DCM also said Arunachal has enormous hydropower potential reserves “which can make the Northeast a game-changer in the country’s power sector.”
“Due to various inherent sociopolitical and environment circumstances, many of the projects under MoUs could not come up. A decision has been arrived at to terminate the MoUs signed with power developers who are not performing. We would like to concentrate on smaller projects and prefer public sector utilities to take part. We are also sensitive to environmental issues and therefore would be encouraging green and renewable energy,” Mein said.
To ensure uninterrupted power supply, he proposed “interconnecting the state grid with the NER grid at the 132 kv line from Silapathar (Assam) to Niglok (Arunachal) via Jonai, and the 132 kv line from Basar (Arunachal) to Silapathar (Assam) via Likabali.”
He said Niglok has an industrial growth centre and a sainik school, and an Indian Army brigade headquarters a few kilometres away. “The power requirement is expected to grow exponentially once the industrial growth centre starts functioning in full capacity,” he said.
Mein said all flagship programmes of the central government, such as the DDUGVY, the RADPRP, the IPDS, SAUBHAGYA, etc, for providing 24×7 electricity to its citizens would be feasible only on achieving a high reliability of grid system.
Stating that modernizing the power transmission and distribution system requires huge investment, Mein said the NERPC “can play a pivotal role to bring about a change in the state’s power sector by presenting Arunachal in the correct perspective in the Indian power scenario.”
Power Commissioner GS Meena along with other senior officers from the state’s power department also attended the meeting. (DCMO)
