Citing low generation from the Hydro Power Stations and resultant reduced power allocation to the State, the Power department has informed all electricity consumers and public that load shedding will be imposed on a rotational basis in Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung load centres.
A press release from the Chief Engineer, Department of Power informed “all the electricity consumers and the general public that due to low generation from the Hydro Power Stations and the resultant reduced power allocation to the State the Department is compelled to impose load shedding.”
While the present State’s power availability is around 147 MW out of a peak demand of 180 MW (60MW during the 1990s), it said that the “State owned Likimro Hydro Electric Project has also been generating around 6 to 12 MW only out of its installed capacity of 24 MW for approximately 12 hours a day due to poor hydrological condition during this season.”
“Due to extreme weather conditions during the last few days there has been rise in the power demand resulting to burning of distribution transformers due to overloading especially in Dimapur and adjoining areas,” the release said.
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The Department also added that one of the units of the Palatana Thermal Power station located at Tripura from where the state gets maximum allocation shall be under shutdown from 2 June 2023 for annual maintenance which would further aggravate the State’s power shortage situation.
To tide over the power shortage, the department said it is making arrangement to purchase additional power at a higher cost as a short-term measure during this crisis.
“As load shedding is inevitable, the Department is regulating the load shedding on rotational basis among the three load centres of the state i.e. Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung load centres.”
‘Nagaland 90% dependent on import of power,’ Power department
The department further lamented that power shortage and load shedding crises would be anticipated every year citing fact that Nagaland is 90% dependent upon import of power.
“The only long term solution is for a concerted and prioritized effort to reduce this dependency upto the extent possible by developing our own internal Hydro power generation which the Department at present is facing some difficulties to overcome,” the department pointed out.
The Department also observed that domestic loads are increasing day by day due to rise in installations and usage of high power consuming electrical appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators, water boilers and rice cookers etc.
In this regard, the Department further appealed to consumers for judicious use of electricity by switching off appliances when not in use.
The Department expressed hope that the practice would help in reducing the domestic load consumption to a large extent and contribute to reducing the duration and quantum of load shedding.
It assured that power situation will be improved with the onset of monsoon.
