Imkong Walling
Dimapur | July 25
It is said that 70% of the power requirement of the country is generated by coal-based thermal power plants. Yet, it is quite the contrary in the North East, with hydel projects feeding the bulk of the power requirement for the region. The northeast, presently in the midst of a drought-like condition, has taken a beating in terms of power generation with almost all hydro projects going, literally, “dry.” Nagaland being no exception, the state is reeling under acute shortage of power.
Power shortage in the state is not a new phenomenon. In other years, the period between February and May was the time when power shortage was felt the most. However, the less-than-normal monsoon this year, has added to the woes and have furthered the “dry period.” At the moment, Dimapur compared with other districts of the state is literally feeling “the heat” as a result of this.
According to Power department sources, the situation is not going to improve until and unless the monsoon picks up. The state at present is receiving only around 54 megawatts of power against the peak demand of 90 megawatts and 34 megawatts against the off-peak demand of 60 megawatts. There is a shortfall of 36 megawatts and 26 megawatts during peak and off-peak hours respectively, department sources said. Peak hours are usually the period between 5:00 pm to 12:00 am. This meagre supply has to be shared between three load centres located at Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung, said the source.
The source said that during the summer months, Dimapur district alone is allotted around 55% of the available quantum of power which comes to around 44 megawatts during peak hours. However due to the shortfall in supply, Dimapur at present is receiving only around 30 megawatts.
And against the off-peak demand of 32 megawatts, it is receiving only 19 megawatts, a shortfall of nearly half of the actual demand. To compound it, department sources said that the supply keeps fluctuating everyday and even hourly. Load shedding as a result is unavoidable, they said.
Also the state at present is not receiving any power at all from the Ranganadi hydro project under NEEPCO. The source said that the state is supposed to receive around 11 megawatts of power from the said project. When queried whether they have put in place any specific schedule for load-shedding hours, they said there is no rigid time table as such. It depends on the quantum of supply at any given point of time, it was informed. At such a juncture the need for thermal power plants in the state is utterly felt.
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