Nagaland facing severe power shortage, officials claimed

Kohima: A government official said that the power shortage in Nagaland has reached alarming levels as hydro generating stations fail to produce electricity to their full capacity.
Several thermal power stations in the region have also shut down for maintenance, adding to the acute power shortage, it said.

It also said that the state currently depends on 90 per cent electricity import.
The department said that power shortages are a perennial problem in the northeast every year during lean seasons as the region is largely dependent on hydropower. It also said that the shortage is more severe this year.
“The shutdown of a major thermal power station for maintenance has worsened the power availability situation,” it said.
The department said that although the availability and supply of electricity is increasing every year, the rate of increase in demand is very high.
It cited that during the 1990s the state’s peak demand was only 60 MW, but on Tuesday (Feb 13), peak demand increased by 300 percent to 180 MW.

It said the availability is about 100MW only during the peak hours, adding that the cost of power purchase is also increasing year by year.

The Nagaland power department urged all consumers to not only judiciously use electricity but also diligently cooperate with it for prompt payments of their monthly electricity bills.

It also said it has been requesting all village councils through the district administration to help and assist it in clearing all vegetation such as trees and bamboo near power transmission and distribution lines, as maximum interruptions are caused by such vegetation.

The department appealed that no organisation(s) should disrupt power installations, as it would only lead to more power instability.

For a long-term solution, the department said it is in the process of initiating several hydropower generation projects within the state, including new transmission and distribution lines and sub-stations for better power service.

Seeking cooperation in the interest of the people, the department said keeping in mind the ongoing HSLC and HSSLC exams all measures are being taken to improve the power stability and ensure stable supply.