Consumers can expect temporary relief from ‘current’ woes
Imkong Walling
Dimapur | June 25
The electricity distribution set up in Nagaland is set for a partial overhaul. A project, courtesy the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) of the Union government, is in the horizon that is expected to ease the pressure on the existing ageing infrastructure.
A major chunk of the project fund worth over Rs. 40cr will be pumped into Dimapur town, which the Department of Power, Nagaland (DoPN) regards as the most “revenue intensive” and conversely, a complaint intensive distribution centre in the state.
Project overview
The project was sanctioned in August 2015 and tentatively scheduled for a July start. As per a document available at the IPDS website, 12 towns will be covered under the scheme with Dimapur being conferred with biggest share - Rs. 33.6cr of the total Rs. 43.9 cr. The other towns include Kohima, Chumukedima, Wokha, Phek, Mokokchung, Mon, Tuensang, Zunheboto, Kiphire, Peren and Longleng.
The bulk of the works will be concentrated in Dimapur town. As per the sanctioned proposal, Dimapur is allocated 30 new Distributions Transformers (DTs), upgrade of 18 overloaded DTs, renovation and maintenance of 30 existing DTs, strengthening of 11Kv lines alongwith renovation and maintenance of 2 sub-stations.
Chumukedima is the only other town included in the proposal for sub-station renovation.
The document, was a letter written by the Secretary, Power, Nagaland to the Power Finance Corporation, India outlining the minutes of an August 2016 consultative meeting of the District Electricity Committee (DEC) constituted by the state government for the implementation of the project.
Requirement and the monetary factor
While Rs. 40cr sounds good enough, the amount is barely 20 percent of the original DPR submitted by the DoPN to the Central financing authority – Power Finance Corporation (PFC) Ltd of the Union Ministry of Power (MoP).
As per the DEC minutes, 19 towns were included in the initial DPR. However, citing “budgetary constraints” the department was advised by the PFC to reduce the scope of works “by prioritizing only the most essential works and towns.” Subsequently, a reworked DPR for 12 towns amounting to Rs. 230.3cr was submitted in July 2015. The resultant allocation against the reworked DPR amounted to only Rs. 43.92cr for 12 towns.
Stating that the allocation would not yield the desired result in the targeted towns, the DoPN said further negotiation with the MoP for reconsideration ensued.
The MoP, while assuring “additional allocation… as when adequate budget is available for the scheme”, asked the DoPN to “kick-start” the project with the allocated amount. The DoPN was also advised to work out “action plan and compliances within the allocated amount of Rs. 43.92cr.” The DoPN in response pitched the option of concentrating bulk of the allocation in Dimapur – the department’s most revenue and load intensive centre. The MoP accepted the proposal and DPR re-casted within the Rs. 43.92cr parameter.
Welcome relief but would it suffice?
When implemented in toto as proposed, the IPDS is expected to greatly ease supply constraints. This hope however has a catch to it as the DoPN feels it would only bring temporary respite.
“It will mitigate to a certain degree the prevailing power scenario albeit for the interim,” commented a DoPN official. If one is to factor in the 10 percent per annum growth in (electricity) demand, the official surmised that the proposed augmentation of the distribution system would not suffice for long.
“Demand-wise though all the sub-stations in Dimapur should be upgraded,” commented another official.
The DEC meeting minutes echoed the view expressed by the two DoPN officials. “But to cater power demand by 2020 will be difficult to address from the present IPDS allocation unless additional fund allocation is made by GoI as originally proposed in the DPR,” the DoPN was quoted as responding to queries raised by Lok Sabha MP, Neiphiu Rio, who chaired the meeting. He called for updates on the status of the IPDS sanction for him to pursue the case with the MoP.
Conservative estimates tip the requirement at Rs. 500cr-plus for a total overhaul of the existing power infrastructure in the state.
The MP further raised the concern of diminishing space for development works in populated areas. Seeking the active support of the public, people’s representatives, district administration and the police, he asked the DoPN to work in close coordination with the stakeholders.
Quality norm, he insisted, should be strictly adhered to through the appointed Project Management Agency.
Dimapur Electrical Division at present is said to have a network of 932 DTs. The 30 new proposed DTs would be of the 250Kva range, while some 10 “over loaded” 250Kva transformers proposed for upgrading to 500Kva. Feeders (power lines) will be strengthened in tandem, lessening the load on the existing infrastructure.
Theoretically, it implies lesser load shedding and a likely decrease in frequency of conking transformers.
