DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 29 (MExN): The Association of Power Engineers Nagaland (APEN), on Wednesday, expressed exasperation and helplessness of the engineers and field staffs of the power department in trying to maintain power supply across the state for the last several years without any support and resources from the government.
“Circumstances have now compelled us and we have reached a stage to unequivocally but reluctantly state that it is simply not possible,” a press statement received here from APEN president Er. Shikato Sema and general secretary Er. Rokongutou Suohu stated.
Blaming the government for being “totally unconcerned and unperturbed” over the dismal power situation, the Association said it is not possible to maintain proper power supply without adequate equipment, tools, materials or resources.
“For years, we have been managing on credit, beg and borrow materials for maintenance. And it has now reached an unprecedented breaking point…” the Association said.
Pointing out that the power issue is not an overnight situation without adequate SOS distress calls made, the Association cited instances.
Repeated plea routinely ignored On repeated and complete ignoring of the departmental and Chief Engineer’s proposal of maintenance requirement, APEN on July 25, 2015 had written to the government highlighting the acute deficiency in allocation of State Annual Plan to the Power Sector during 2015-16, and stated that “with the meager and deficient fund allocation, and its resultant impact on the power supply system of the state, the department will not be in a position to restore power supply in the event of major breakdown of machinery and equipment, which were imminent.”
It further said with the fund allocation of only Rs 7.11 cr. or 5% of the requirement, the government was not considering power as an essential sector.
Chief Engineer (T&G) and Chief Engineer (D&R) had written letters on September 7, 2016 and September 8, 2016 respectively, bringing to the notice of the government the impending power crises.
The Association also pointed out that the local media has sufficiently covered about the impending power crisis and the department had also briefed the government at all levels innumerable times about the impending crisis, and several times at the Chief Minister’s level.
All necessary technical, logistics, manpower, financial and material requirements were given in detail, explained and pleaded for during such briefings, the Association said, adding during almost all such instances, assurances were given, but it all turned out to be ‘mere lip service.’
The Association maintained that the power department is likely to be the only department which practically and physically goes to the premises of every single house in Nagaland. “Yet, in spite of all these, we are treated as a minor department with Rs 13.50 cr. outlay for this year, which is again only 13% of the minimum requirement for maintenance,” it decried.
While other non-essential and much smaller departments were allocated higher funds and are laden with excess staff, the Association lamented that the power department are hampered with acute shortage of field staff, by at least 500 numbers resulting in about 400 villages left without field staff. Even within the towns, during line faults the times taken for restoration are prolonged due to shortage of staff, it revealed.
A disaster in waiting The Association also revealed that the power department had since 2005-06, proposed and repeatedly pressed for 200MVA (2x100MVA) transformer capacity at Nagarjan 132/66/33kv sub-station.
It repeatedly highlighted that one of the old existing 20MVA out of 60MVA was on the verge of breakdown and urgently needed to be upgraded and replaced by the new proposed transformer. While the government did not give due priority, the transformer finally broke down during August 2012 and Dimapur faced a major power crisis then.
Faced with the crisis, a 100MVA transformer was arranged without financial sanction. It was later sanctioned for the single 100MVA but further funding was stopped/not forthcoming, leading to the present crisis. Hence unless the required additional capacity of 100MVA is added, as proposed by the department since 2005, Dimapur shall continue to face power crisis, it stated.
The Association also cautioned that during winter, the 132/33kv 24MVA sub-station at Kohima is also overloaded by 40%. Therefore if a single transformer in this station goes down, Kohima shall be plunged into complete darkness, as there is not a single spare on standby.
It stated that year after year, the power department has been discriminated and sidelined for its due share of even the minimum fund requirement for operation and maintenance on the pretext that it is making too many losses.
While not disputing the high energy losses, the Association has questioned whether the department is structured on commercial lines or as any other welfare government department.
Washing its hands off, the Association said its members and field staffs who are sacrificing and working hard without a break cannot be held responsible for the power crises in the state today, which it categorically said is of the State Government’s own making.
.JPG)
