MOKOKCHUNG — KG Kenye, Minister of Power and Parliamentary Affairs, lamented that the state Power department has been accumulating huge losses, totaling more than INR 2,000 crores, in buying power.
Speaking during the inauguration of two substations in Mokokchung on Monday as the guest of honour, he informed that Nagaland's requirement for power is more than 180 megawatts, whereas it generates only 12 to 24 megawatts.
The two sub-stations, a 33/11 kV, 2x10 MVA at Salangtem ward and another 33/11 kV, 2x5 MVA at Majakong ward, near TB Hospital Mokokchung, were simultaneously inaugurated by the minister at Power House, Salangtem ward.
Kenye, in his address, acknowledged all those involved, including the Ministry of Power, the authorities of the World Bank, the Nagaland government, the Power department, and the people of Mokokchung, for realising the projects and asserted that the development of humankind cannot proceed without the usage of power and electricity, coupled with the advancement of technology, which necessitates the need for more power.
He said that if Nagaland could generate more power, the state could have saved a significant amount of money, which could have been used for other developmental purposes and urged the people of the state to step forward and assist in identifying natural resources, including rivers suitable for hydroelectric power generation, to alleviate the power shortage.
Tongpang Ozükum, Advisor for Water Resources, also extended gratitude to the people, civil societies, the Power department and the government of Nagaland on the completion of the project.
As per the technical report, the two projects were funded by the government of India and the World Bank on a 50:50 basis and aimed to improve the intra-state transmission and distribution systems in the state. The project is implemented through PowerGrid, a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Power.
The contract was awarded in February 2018 with a completion schedule of 33 months. However, the project faced delays due to land acquisition issues, which were resolved in November 2021, it stated.
The 33/11 kV substation, Power House Mokokchung, features transformers with a capacity of 2x10 MVA. Additionally, it includes 6 outgoing feeders rated at 11 kV. The substation is connected to a 33 kV line equipped with 24 fibre OPGW, stretching from the 132 kV substation at Aolijen to the 33 kV substation. The power house is located 8.87 kilometres away. The project was tested on February 15, 2024, with an estimated cost of INR 9.4 crore.
The 33/11kV substation at TB Hospital Mokokchung is equipped with transformers with a capacity of 2x5 MVA. It features 4 outgoing feeders rated at 11 kV. Similar to the previous substation, it is connected to a 33kV line with 24 fibre OPGW, extending from the 132kV substation at Aolijen to the 33kV substation at TB Hospital.
The distance between the TB Hospital and the substation is 7.2 kilometres. The project underwent testing on February 15, 2024, with a total estimated cost of INR 8.9 crore.