Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 20: In a significant development which will improve power reliability in the State, the Northern Region Power Committee (NRPC) has agreed to shortly recommend to the Union Power Ministry the alternate connectivity of Jammu and Kashmir with the Northern Grid through Samba-Jallandhar line and installation of second 400 KVA line between Jammu and Srinagar via Mughal Road.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Northern Region Power Committee in its meeting held yesterday under the chairmanship of its Member Secretary P K Pahwa found the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department’s demand for alternate connectivity with the Northern Grid as tenable and agreed to recommend the same to the Union Ministry of Power for onward submission to the Planning Commission of India.
In the meeting, Power Development Department of the State was represented by Development Commissioner Power, Manzoor Ahmed Salroo, Executive Engineer Sanjay Sharma and Assistant Executive Engineer, Azhar Vakil.
“The recommendations of Northern Region Power Committee are always accepted by the Union Power Ministry as such there is every possibility that decision regarding alternate connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir with Northern Region would be cleared by the Union Government and recommended to the Planning Commission”, sources said.
The exercise to persuade Northern Region Power Committee and other stake holders for alternate Northern Grid connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir was started by the Power Development Department on the directions of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah about a year back and culminated yesterday on a positive note.
At present, Jammu and Kashmir is connected with the Northern Region only through Kishenpur-Moga transmission line and because of single line connectivity Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing total darkness in case of any fault in the line. “The alternate line would improve power reliability in the whole of State in general and Kashmir region in particular, which is connected with Jammu only through Kishenpur-Wagoora transmission line”, sources said.
In response to a question, they said that the upcoming grid at Samba being constructed by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) would be connected with the Northern Grid through Jallandhar line and benefit of this alternate connectivity with the Northern Grid would be provided to Kashmir valley by laying alternate transmission line via Mughal road”, adding “due to alternate line via Mughal Road, the Valley would not plunge into complete darkness in case of fault in existing Kishenpur-Wagoora transmission line”.
“Since the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited would play a key role in providing alternate connectivity to J&K with Northern Grid and subsequent alternate connectivity to Kashmir valley from alternate route, the officers of Power Development Department also held detailed meeting with the top Directors of the PGCIL this morning”, sources informed.
They disclosed that for the first time two state-of-the-art meter testing laboratories are also coming up in the State. In Jammu, the lab will be set up near Shakuntala Theatre while as in Srinagar the same will come up at Bemina. For these labs, the Power Development Department has taken loan from the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC). Moreover, each of these labs will be provided with mobile units for on site testing of the meters.
It is pertinent to mention here that Northern Region Power Committee is undertaking regional level operation analysis for improving grid performance, facilitating inter-state/inter-regional transfer of power, undertaking operational planning studies including protection studies for stable operation of the grid and evolving consensus on all issues relating to economy and efficiency in the operation of power system in the region.
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