Nagaland Power Department implements rotational load shedding amidst power shortage

Kohima, 2 June (MTNews): The Department of Power, Government of Nagaland has announced the implementation of load shedding on a rotational basis across the state. This decision, according to the department, has been prompted by low generation from Hydro Power Stations and reduced power allocation to Nagaland.

In order to tide over the power shortage, the Department of Power said they are making arrangements to purchase additional power at a higher cost. While load shedding is inevitable under the circumstances, the department is implementing a rotational system to regulate the process among the three load centers of the state, namely Dimapur, Kohima, and Mokokchung.

Department explains reasons for load shedding

With regard to the ongoing load shedding in the state, the department said extreme weather conditions in recent days have led to a significant increase in power demand, resulting in the burning of distribution transformers, particularly in Dimapur and its adjoining areas. It was informed that the concerned divisions are working tirelessly to restore and replace the damaged transformers on an urgent basis.

Presently, according to the department, Nagaland is facing a power availability of approximately 147 MW, while the peak demand stands at 180 MW (compared to 60 MW during the 1990s). The Likimro Hydro Electric Project, which is state-owned, is generating only 6 to 12 MW out of its installed capacity of 24 MW for approximately 12 hours a day. The department said that this reduced generation can be attributed to poor hydrological conditions during the current season.

The Department of Power also regretfully informed that one of the units at the Palatana Thermal Power station in Tripura, which provides the maximum allocation of power to Nagaland, will be undergoing annual maintenance starting from 2 June which will further exacerbate the state’s power shortage situation.

Power shortage crisis likely to repeat annually, long-term solutions urgently needed

Stating that Nagaland is 90% dependent upon the import of power, the department said they anticipate the power shortage and load-shedding crisis to repeat every year.

“The only long-term solution is for a concerted and prioritized effort to reduce this dependency up to the extent possible by developing our own internal Hydro power generation which the Department at present is facing some difficulties to overcome,” the department said.

As the demand for electricity continues to rise due to the increasing installation and usage of high power-consuming electrical appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, water boilers, and rice cookers, Nagaland’s power grid is further burdened, the department added.

In light of this situation, the Department of Power appealed to consumers to exercise judicious use of electricity by switching off appliances when not in use. The department is hopeful that this collective effort is expected to significantly reduce domestic load consumption and contribute to the reduction in both the duration and severity of load shedding.

While the Department acknowledges the inconvenience caused by the ongoing power instability, it assured the public that the situation is expected to improve with the onset of the monsoon season and, therefore, appealed to the consumers and the public in general to bear with the inconveniences caused due to the power instability.