Chowna Mein calls for transmission line between Arunachal & Bhutan

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ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Monday urged the North Eastern Regional Power Committee (NERPC) to carry out a feasibility study for establishment of a suitable 132 KV transmission line between Lumla in the Tawang district of the State and 600 MW Kholongchu Hydro Electric Power Station in Bhutan.

Attending the 22nd meeting of NERPC at Guwahati in Assam, Mein, who also holds the power portfolio, urged the committee to come out with a tangible policy decision as per norms associated with international exchange of power.

The Kholongchu power station in Bhutan is about 40 km aerially from Lumla in the Tawang district of the State, Mein said.

He also requested the members of the regional committee to support this idea as it will help to make a pragmatic initiative and improve the reliability of both the grids of India and that of Bhutan, besides meeting the demand reliability which is a huge concern for reliability with serious operational challenges as the upcoming 132 KV transmission line from Khuppi to Tawang under the Comprehensive Scheme would pass through snowclad Sela Pass.

Stating that the reliability of grid in the State is a persistent issue because of its long radial feeder starting from Ranganadi Hydro Electric Project (RHEP) in the Papum Pare district to Namsai district, as this single feeder caters to the power needs of more than 50 per cent of the State, Mein said that Arunachal Pradesh needs more inter-connections with the North Eastern Regional Grid, officials said here.

The Deputy Chief Minister also expressed his gratitude to the Union Power Ministry and NERPC forum for approving two of the inter-connections projects that were placed before the forum in the 20th Technical Coordination Committee meeting which were subsequently approved in 20th NEPRC meeting in 2019, namely, Chapakhowa-Roing 132 KV line and Kathalguri-Namsai 220 KV DC line.

He extended all support to complete the Chapakhowa-Roing 132 KV line in scheduled time by September, 2022 and further expressed hope that the works on Kathalguri-Namsai 220 KV DC line would begin soon paving the way for timely completion of the project by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL). He urged the PGCIL to find ways and means to complete restoration of Pasighat-Roing 132 KV transmission line which were damaged along Dotung River Bank in Lower Dibang Valley in April, 2020, before coming monsoon to prevent further damage.

While acknowledging the PGCIL, the consultant-cum-project implementing agency for doing commendable works despite hurdles and bottlenecks under Comprehensive Scheme for Development of Transmission and Distribution, the Deputy Chief Minister further urged the corporation to revisit some approach taken so far for the benefit of all and suggested a milestone-based implementation planning with customization to suit local conditions and topography.

Stating that Arunachal Pradesh is a young State in the area of transmission system development, Mein said, "Despite that we have achieved significant development in the field of infrastructure in other areas and have gained momentum significantly to catch up with the sister States of North-East and the rest of the country as well".

He further added that the demand for electrical power is fast gaining and shall gain in leap and bounds with the development by 2030 and, accordingly, the State Government has placed plan for augmentation of the transmission system up to 2030 under the guidance of the union power ministry.

Mein also congratulated NEEPCO for successful commissioning of 600 MW Kameng hydro project by putting the last and final unit into commercial operation on February 12 last year, and further requested the power developer to carry on the same tempo to take up all the new projects in Arunachal Pradesh entrusted to them namely, 120 MW Nafra, 90 MW New Malling and 330 MW Kuru project. He said that the construction of 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project resumed in October, 2019 by National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) and two of its unit with a capacity of 500 MW, would become operational by August this year.

The Deputy Chief minister also impressed upon the NHPC to work hard further to ensure completion of the entire project in August, 2023 as scheduled.

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