Amid growing energy crisis in J&K, the Government has for the first time admitted that the state had “grossly inadequate” infrastructure in place for meeting the rising power demands.
“There is an urgent need to upgrade the Transmission and Distribution infrastructure so that future needs of the power supply can be fulfilled effectively,” the Economic Survey, which was tabled in the Assembly this week, highlights.
While the Government has laid thrust on generation and is planning to add more than 5000-MW projects in both State and Central sector by middle of 13th five-year plan, the Survey notes that the entire planning would become dividend-less in absence of thrust on upgrading the T&D infrastructure, saying that effective and efficient T&D system was as vital as generation of power.
T&D infrastructure in the state consists of four transmission capacities of different voltage levels: 220/132 KV, 132/66-33 KV level, 66-33/11 KV and 11/0.04 KV.
While the infrastructure capacity required at 220/132 KV to meet the anticipated peak demand of more than 2600-MW is 5160 MVA, there is a gap of 1110 MVA.
Likewise, the estimated requirement of transformation capacity at 132/66-33 KV level is 7431 MVA, there is a gap of 2245 MVA and at 11-6.6/0.4 KV there is a gap of 2667 MVA against the T&D infrastructure requirement of 8917 MVA.
“The government plans to set up many projects to meet the growing demands but the state needs to prepare evacuation system for this generation by the end of 12th five-year plan (2012-17),” the economic survey emphasizes.
The survey terms as “major concern” the unreliability of power supply to Kashmir stating that the power supply through 220 kV and 400 kV transmission lines passes through the vulnerable corridor of Srinagar-Jammu highway which is highly prone to snowfall and wind storm.
The survey has raised questions on the tardy pace of work on alternate power supply line being constructed through Mughal Road which was approved by Standing Committee of Central Electricity of Authority on Transmission Planning in northern region in January 2013.
