Tuki sanctions fund to resolve Tawang's power crisis

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITAGAR, Dec 4: Concerned over reports of power crisis hitting Tawang, causing inconvenience to the local public and affecting tourism, chief minister bam Tuki convened a high level meeting of the power department here on Thursday.

The meet was attended by power (electrical) minister Tanga Byaling, hydropower minister Phurpa Tsering, principal fince secretary Satyagopal Sinha, power commissioner Kaling Tayeng, the planning secretary, the hydropower secretary, and the chief engineers of the departments concerned, an official statement informed.

Tayeng made a presentation on the power scerio in Tawang, showing a break-up of the power generation capacity, including installed capacity and present generation capacities of various hydel projects commissioned in the district.

While briefing on the issues that have been hampering uninterrupted flow of power supply in the district, Tayeng suggested short-term, medium-term and long-term mitigation measures to address the problem on urgent basis.

On the department’s advice, the chief minister ordered for the release of Rs 1.5 crores immediately for restoration of the Kitpi 1st phase and Kitpi 2nd phase hydels, and additiol Rs 30 lakhs to the power department for running a DG set.

The restoration work will take at least one month, and during that period the DG set will be used to supply power to the denizens of Tawang.

The hydropower department assured that power supply would be improved with the completion of restoration work on important hydel stations which at present generate 2.52 mw of electricity.

An additiol 1 mw will be added for supply after the restoration of the Kitpi-I and Kitpi-II, bringing the total power generation to 3.5 mw, which will to a great extent give respite to the power crisis in the district in addition to the power supplied through the generator.

Winding up the meeting, the chief minister called another meeting on December 25 to review and monitor the progress of the decisions taken, the statement added.