Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Jan 31: After the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) Limited announced a shutdown of the Ranganadi Hydro Electric Project (RHEP) for three months (1st February to 30th April, 2019), the state government has been forced to scramble around and manage power sources for the state.
Though the NEEPCO did not officially convey the cause of shutting down, state’s Power Minister Tamiyo Taga on Thursday informed that “leakage of tunnel has forced the power supplier to shut down the entire project for maintenance.”
The shutting down of Ranganadi will lead to shortfall of 60 Mega Watt in Arunachal.
In a press conference held here at the Arunachal Press Club, the Power minister informed that the state government has spent Rs 28.27 crores on power purchase from NTPC Ltd (30 mega watt) and from NEEPCO ltd (40 megawatt).
The department of Power had entered into a power purchase agreement with both the NTPC and NEEPCO on Wednesday.
“The shutdown of Ranganadi would also affect power generation of Pare Hydro Electric of the NEEPCO, as it operates partially from the discharge of water from its tail race channel,” said the Power minister.
To overcome the shortfall of 60MW, Taga informed that he and the chief minister had written to the union minister of state for Power to allocate additional power from the central sector power generating stations in Arunachal Pradesh.
On the request, the minister of Power has allocated 30 MW of power from Unchalar-I Thermal Power Plant of NTPC Ltd to Arunachal Pradesh round the clock for three months.
The NEEPCO also consented to allocate regulated power of 40 MW of Meghalaya to Arunachal Pradesh for 5.30 hours (from 16.30 hrs to 22.00 hrs) for three months, he added.
He further divulged that average peaks demand 100 MW for domestic consumption and commercial consumption to the grid connected to districts.
Sensing that shutdown of the RHEP would adversely affect school, college and university examinations, besides the state assembly election, Taga informed that the government has ensured uninterrupted power supply to the consumers.
The minister appealed to the people to cooperate with the government during the crucial three months.
