SRINAGAR, NOV 23, 2019: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, K.K Sharma today chaired an extensive post snowfall review meeting with the officials of Power Development Department (PDD)—directing officers to learn lessons from the challenges and remain prepared much in advance.
Addressing the officers here in Srinagar, the Advisor urged officers of PDD and its allied wings to go for assessment of the damages and do the re-structuring of the department and its allied wings. He directed the officers to work in close coordination for avoiding any eventuality in view of the inclement weather.
Chief Engineer, PDD, Distribution, Kashmir, Hashmat Qazi, Chief Engineer, Transmission, Aijaz Ahmad Dar, SEs X-ens, Financial Advisor (PDD), among other senior officer of the department attended the meeting.
Advisor Sharma said that natural calamities offer a learning process for the administration. “We must sit and introspect as to learn from failures,” he said.
Earlier, the officials informed the meeting that during summers, PDD supplied 24×7 power supply to both to metered as well as unmetered consumers, except for a very few localized areas with system constraints. It was informed that on an average, the department has been supplying peak load of 1200 MW and in climate, the department faced challenge of supplying increased load, which gradually surges from onset of autumn and peaks in winter.
Chief Engineer, PDD (Distribution), Kashmir, Hashmat Qazi informed the meeting that at present, ‘Peak Load’ of around 1750 MW is being encountered during evening prime hours. He said that this winter, the department is expecting unrestricted peak demand of 2000-2100 MW.
He said that due to the constraints at grid, transmission level the department in recent past has been supplying peak load of 1250 MW. However, with the optimal utilization of available resources and close coordination PDD has been serving additional load of 100 MW during peak hours, thereby increasing the total load served to 1350 MW.
Chief Engineer, PDD (Transmission), Aijaz Ahmad Dar informed the meeting that under construction Zainakoot-Alestang Transmission line occurred massive damages in recent snowfall by causing damage to 10 vital towers. He however informed that a comprehensive contingency plans have been drawn to work again on war footing basis. He said similarly 132KV Badampora-Bandipora line too suffered huge tower damage and line work will function again after repairing of damaged towers.
Power Scenario & Curtailment
In its endeavor to maintain stable power supply during winters, when the peak demand is forecast as 2000-2100 MW, PDD is constrained to enforce load shedding of around 700-750 MW.
The meeting was informed that with the commissioning of 220 KV ring line connecting Zainakote grid and Aulesteng Grid at 220 kV level, the City grids: Waganpora, Habbak, Cheshmashahi and Pampore Grid will be able to feed additional power to the order of 200 MW to Srinagar and other adjoining areas, thereby reducing the infrastructure constraint and minimizing the curtailment hours in the City.
The meeting was informed that in order to avoid unscheduled cuts due to constrictions of existing infrastructure at 33 kV level and below, Up-gradation of critically overloaded 33 kV feeders & Receiving Stations is being carried out under various centrally sponsored schemes like PMRP / DDUGJY /IPDS.
Establishment of Control RoomsThe meeting was informed that establishment of control rooms and buffer stocking of material to meet any eventuality due to adverse weather and calamity and five Control Rooms have been established to coordinate the restoration process at major Grid Stations across the valley.
