Guwahati: Arunachal Pradesh deputy chief minister Chown Mein on Monday proposed carrying out a feasibility study for the establishment of a suitable transmission line between Lumla in Tawang and the 600 MW Kholongchu Hydroelectric Power Station in Bhutan under relevant norms of the international power and energy exchange policy.
Mein, who made this proposal during the 22nd sitting of the North East Regional Power Committee (NERPC) here, reasoned that the transmission line, if established, would improve the reliability of both the grids of India and Bhutan besides meeting the reliability demand.
The aerial distance between Lumla and Kholongchu Hydroelectric Power Station is around 40 km.
Meeting the reliability demand of the state is a huge concern as the 132 KV transmission line from Khuppi to Tawang sanctioned under the Comprehensive Scheme faces serious operational challenges as it would pass through the snow-clad Sela Pass, Mein said, while requesting the members of the NERPC to support this idea.
Addressing the meeting, Mein who is also the minister-in-charge of power, congratulated NEEPCO for successfully commissioning the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Electric Project in Arunachal by putting the last and final unit into commercial operation in February 2021.
He also requested the power corporation to carry out all the new projects entrusted to them namely the 120 MW Nafra, 90 MW New Malling and 330 MW Kuru hydro electric projects at the same pace.
The DCM further informed that the construction of 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project was resumed in October 2019 by the National Hydro Power Corporation and two of its units with a capacity of 500 MW would become operational by August 2022.
Further highlighting that the reliability of the grid in the Arunachal is a persistent issue because of its long radial feeder starting from the Ranganadi Hydro Electric Project in Lower Subansiri district to Namsai, Mein said more inter-connections with the North Eastern Regional Grid are required for the state.
“This single feeder caters to the power needs of more than 50 percent of the state,” he said.
The DCM at the same time also expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Power, Government of India and the NERPC forum for approving two inter-connection projects for Arunachal viz. the Chapakhowa-Roing 132 KV and Kathalguri-Namsai 220 KV double-circuit transmission lines.
The Chapakhowa-Roing transmission line is scheduled to be completed on time by September 2022, Mein said, expressing hope that the works on Kathalguri-Namsai line would begin soon paving the way for timely completion of the project by the Power Grid.
Mein on the occasion also urged the Power Grid to find ways and means to complete the restoration of Pasighat-Roing 132 KV Transmission Line which was damaged along the Dotung River Bank in Lower Dibang Valley in April 2020 before the coming monsoon.
The DCM further also highlighted the significant developments made by Arunachal in the field of electric power transmission.
The NERPC meeting chaired by Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio was attended by power developers and all the power ministers and senior government officers from the northeast region.
