Days after a 66kV Double Circuit Tower of 66kV Kiphire-Likimro Transmission Line near Pungro Town in Kiphire collapsed on 20th April 2024, 132 kV Single circuit of the crucial Wokha – Sanis Transmission Line near Riphyim Old area under Wokha District has collapsed in the early hours on 27th April 2024, the Chief Engineer (T&G), Department of Power, Nagaland has said.
Er. Penrithung Yanthan informed in a press release that during inspection by the department along with District Administration, it was discovered that the tack welded Nuts & Bolts of the tower members were cut and removed resulting in the collapse of the tower indicating a clear intention to steal the tower parts leading to disruption in the power supply by miscreants. It was also found that the adjacent towers (Tower numbers 15 and 17) are on the verge of collapse as the bracings of the towers have been stolen, the Chief Engineer added.
He further pointed out that this particular 132kV Kohima-Wokha-Sanis-Doyang transmission line was constructed for evacuation of power from the Doyang HEP and is an important element of the State Power Transmission Grid with connectivity to the state capital.
However, the line could not be commissioned for many years due to theft of materials and damage of several towers at various locations between Wokha and Doyang. The department with great hardship, difficulty and struggle restored the line in 2016 incurring huge expenditure by state government in the process, Er Yanthan said.
The department has said that with the collapse of this tower, in the event of any line fault or power outages on the 132 kV Transmission line between Dimapur – Kohima – Karong (Manipur), the capital Kohima along with the whole of Kohima and Tseminyu districts and upper range of Wokha District including Wokha Town will plunge into total/ complete blackout. Further, power supply would be adversely affected in the Upper Range of Wokha District & Tseminyu district in case of any breakdowns/outages between Kohima – Wokha Transmission line.
While the department is committed to provide reliable and stable power supply to the consumers despite many constraints and limitations, strongly expresses dismay for such act of sabotage to public property depriving the public of essential services, Er Yanthan stated.
He also informed that an FIR has been lodged and urged village councils, civil society organisations and all stake holders to cooperate and assist the Law enforcing agencies to book the culprits at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the Chief Engineer assured that the department is outing in all efforts to retore the line in Wokha as it is doing in Kiphire.
