Jammu & Kashmir Government to install solar power plants in 18 ITI’s…

 

Minister of State for Technical Education (Independent charge), Power, Information and Rural Development Department, Vikar Rasool Wani inaugurated 66.24 KW capacity Solar Power Plant constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.62 crore at Women’s Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Pampore here today.

On the occasion,   Vikar said that Plant is first of its kind in Valley which is funded by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under Jawahar Lal Nehru National Solar Mission scheme and constructed by Tata Power Solar Systems Bangalore.

He said that Solar Power Plants will be installed in 18 more ITIs across the State at a cost of Rs 32.20 crore, which could provide 24 hours power supply to these technical institutions, an official statement said.

The Minister said that government is committed to make maximum use of this technology and various public institutions are being provided this facility. He said that the Solar Power Technology will go long way in overcoming power crisis in the State.

Referring to the steps taken by government for popularising skill development and also for inculcating scientific temperament among students ,  the Minister said that the government left no stone unturned in extending technical education facilities to both boys and girls by opening up of a chain of polytechnics and ITI’’s in all the three regions of the State.

He said that central govt as well as State govt are jointly working hard to make new generation technically sound so that they will not go behind government jobs only instead they will setup their own income generating units with financial and technical support of State govt.

Appreciating private sector in setting up of technical institutions in the State,   Vikar said that govt alone cannot solve the problem of providing livelihood with honour and dignity to the youth, adding that the private partners can play a pivotal role in making the society rich by extending their helping hand to the government.

The Minister was accompanied by Director Technical Education, Kashmir,   Jaipal Singh, Principal Women’ s  ITI Pampore,   Mohsin Ali Khan, representative Tata Power Solar System,   Javed Ahmad and other concerned officers.

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Government to generate 9,000 MW of power in next 5-6 years in JK…

 

The Jammu and Kashmir government has conceived a well-planned and realistic power generation strategy and set a target to generate 9,000 MW electricity in next 5-6 years in the state, Industries and Commerce Minister Sajad Ahmed Kichloo said today.

"Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has conceived a well- planned and realistic power generation strategy and set a target to generate 9,000 MWs of electricity in next 5 to 6 years in the state," Kichloo said while interacting with deputations of people from Chenab Valley at Civil Secretariat here this afternoon.

He said for the first time in the history of the state that coalition government, under the leadership of Chief Minister, has framed a well-planned policy to tap the huge Hydle Power Potential in the state.

Chenab Valley in particular is emerging as hub of power generation where about five hydro- electric power projects are coming up on the river Chenab, he said, adding the Chenab Valley is gifted by God with abounded hydro power potential which is being exploited optimally under the New Power Generation Policy of the government.

He said a separate agency Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPP) has been constituted by the government to explore all the possibilities to tap maximum power potential.

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Linking Ladakh with national grid: PGCIL to implement Rs 2076.56 crore project...

 

The government has finally decided to start implementing the 220-kv power transmission line that would link the arid Ladakh desert with the national grid. The PGCIL will implement the Rs 2076.56 crore project that will be jointly funded by the centre and the state government but will eventually become property of the J&K state. CCEA has approved the project.

Apart from having two small stretches of 8.30 kms length underground to avoid damages by massive snow fall on Zoji La range, the 352.30 kms Srinagar-Leh line with around 1400 towers will have four 66 kV interconnection systems at Drass, Kargil, Khaltse and Leh. The sub-stations would require laying 50.50 kms of 66 kV transmission network. The line will carry a voice and data line along with.

Surge in power requirement of the region and a deficit of 95 percent apart, the project is being implemented fast to ensure resistibility of supplies to the defence establishments as the area having borders with China and Pakistan has huge strategic importance.

The PGCIL that will implement the project within 42 months will charge only 12% of the project cost as its consultancy fee to help the government make project viable. Given the strategic nature of the region, the government ruled out hiring any foreign consultant. This will be the first project of its kind that PGCIL will implement in highly hostile terrain. PGCIL sources said they have already undertaken the survey of the entire line. Its route alignment was undertaken using Satellite Imageries through National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) Department of Space and for designing avalanche prone towers, help was sought from defence ministry's Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment ( SASE).

For laying towards in a particular stretch, the corporation will have to fly the men and material because there is no possibility of laying any road.

The line will pass through a very hostile terrain comprising very heavy snow zones from Gagangeer to Ghumri (around 60 km), high security areas close to Line of Control (LoC) between Drass and Kargil (about 60 km) and very low temperature and dry climate (cold desert) of Ladakh (about 220 km). The challenges involve working in extremely harsh climatic conditions, lesser working period available and transportation of heavy machinery and laying of 220 KV underground cabling at Z- More and Zozilla Pass. Transformers for four sub-stations may also have to be airlifted because of low capacity of road bridges.

The line that was initially announced as part of the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) in 2004 was deferred as the Ladakh region wanted the implementation of twin power project - Nimu-Bazgo and Chutak, on priority. The twin projects with cumulative capacity of 89 MWs are already completed and partly in operation. In absence of power evacuation system or the proper distribution network locally, the twin projects operate as captive stations being linked directly to the load.

The sparsely populated Ladakh constitutes almost 74% of J&K geography but comprises of Leh and Kargil districts only. Apart from a new corps of army that was raised after the Kargil war, the region is emerging tourist destination as well. Currently, the net energy requirement of 150 MWs is expected to reach 224 MWs in next five years. Most of the peak time energy is being managed through highly polluting DG sets that costs Rs 18 per unit and in certain cases upward of Rs 30.

Of the Rs 2076.56 crore investment, J&K is contributing only five percent. But the ownership of the line will eventually be transferred to the J&K government. While substantial Rs 1451.26 crore would go for purchasing equipment, the project has Rs 34.33 crore for compensating forests and private land and Rs 64.64 crore for raising required civil works. The project would require 40 acres for substations and another 78 acres for the transmission line. It includes 131.43 hectors of forest land. The project is expected to be ready by latter 2018.

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Jammu Powergrid restores 400 KV Kishenpur-Wagoora transmission linein Jammu...

 

Continuous rain and snowfall that threw normal life out of gear in the stretch of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway had its impact on 400 KV Kishenpur-Wagoora transmission line of Powergrid as well. The transmission line was damaged and power transmission in one of its Circuits (Circuit-I) was affected from yesterday early hours.

Keeping its commitment of minimum downtime in its transmission lines, the authorities in Powergrid Corporation of India Limited immediately swung and approached state government and Indian Air Force to help them in ferrying their manpower to the site. The team of experienced engineers headed by Arshad Khan Chief Manager (Batote), SM Dar Chief Manager (Wagoora) and Mohd Farooq,Manager(OS) organized their teams at Batote, Wagoora and Jammu end respectively so that they were dropped by helicopter at the desired location despite high velocity winds and hostile conditions.

The team without caring for their lives rectified the fault in extreme hostile conditions. The six member team of POWERGRID that was dropped at the nearest possible location in the gigantic mountainous peaks of Peerpanjal were Devinder Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, Kansara Singh, Narinder Kumar , Chankar Singh & Ashwani Kumar.

Officers from Air force particularly Group Captain Ghera and Wing Commander Batra played an important role in this operation by ferrying the Engineers of Powergrid despite hostile weather conditions prevailing in the area.

The line was charged today at 13:27 Hrs around 500 Mega watts of electricity was made available to the Valley.

The whole of the operation was being monitored at highest level in POWERGRID, with its General Manager(O&M), KR Suri keeping the close look at the developments and commanding the restoration work.

JP Singh, Executive Director Powergrid Northern Region-II has congratulated the team for their extraordinary efforts in restoring the transmission line and conveyed thanks on behalf of Powergrid to state administration and Air Force for their continued support.

This prompt, planned and dedicated act of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.,(POWERGRID) has once again established its professional expertise and attitude.

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Over 65 pc power energy lost in transmission, distribution in J&K...

 

Despite receiving grants from Government of India for controlling transmission and distribution losses, Jammu and Kashmir has failed to show any notable improvement in controlling the losses.

The transmission and distribution losses were highest (65.78 percent) for 2011-12, (60.99) percent for 2010-11 and around (59.72) percent for last fiscal year.

The Power Development Department (PDD) has even failed to meet the guidelines set by the Union Power Ministry to bring down the losses by three percent annually. The Government has faced embarrassing moments many a time before the Planning Commission of India for failing to control the T&D losses.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India, where about 70 percent energy is lost due to power pilferage and Tramsmission and Distribution losses and the state cannot afford this huge deficit for long.

The Transmission and Distribution losses have also complicated the problem for them to meet the domestic power crisis. However, PDD is planning to introduce a multi -pronged strategy to bring a turnaround in the power sector with emphasis on energetic inspections, 100 percent

metering and effective implementation of relevant laws to cap pilferages at various levels as also to affect targeted recoveries precisely.

“Necessary reforms have been introduced in the state to bridge the gap between energy supply and revenue collection and to control the transmission and distribution losses. The government was endeavouring hard to provide power to the people round the clock for both domestic

and commercial purposes and for achieving this goal the full collection of tariff is very important,” the PDD officials said.

The Power Development Department (PDD) has changed its winter power curtailment schedule. The department has so far imported power worth Rs 3100 crores from the northern grid to meet its domestic consumption.

During the last financial year, state government had imported highest ever power supply worth Rs 3100 crores from the northern grid to meet domestic consumption of 1000 MWs. However, in 2012, the government imported power worth around Rs 28 crores from northern grid.

The state government has imported the power against a revenue collection of half of the total amount. The state government has collected revenue worth Rs 1800 crores during the last financial year from its registered consumers.

“Last winter we have imported power worth Rs 3100 crores from northern grid to meet the domestic demand. This is the highest ever money spent on power imports,” said a senior PDD official.

The PDD is saying that they are bound to import additional power from the northern grid with the increasing power consumption in the state.

“This season, our power demand exceeded to 1200 MWs during peak hours, with the availability of 700 MWs from various power projects,” the official said.

Jammu and Kashmir requires 2,400 MW of power, of which only 1,400 MW is available. There is a shortfall of 1,000 MW. The state purchased power worth Rs.3,600 crore in the year 2011-12, against which the sales revenue generated was Rs.1, 200 crore only.

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J&K Government floats RFQ for setting up of 23 mini hydro power projects...

 

Set to harness hydro power for augmenting supplies in rural and remote areas, Jammu and Kashmir government has floated tenders for 23 mini and micro hydro electric power projects in seven districts of State.

Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has come out with Request for Qualification (RFQ) from experienced and capable companies with necessary technical competence and financial strength for developing 23 Micro and Mini Hydro projects up to a capacity of 2 MWs each as Independent power producer (IPP) for a period of 40 years.

The RFQ has been floated as per the 'policy for Development of Micro and Mini Hydro Power Projects-2011'.

Twenty three Mini and Micro Hydro projects with a capacity of 35.7 MWS would come up in 7 districts.

Of these projects, the highest 6 projects would be developed in Anantnag district of South Kashmir followed by 5 in Poonch district, 4 each in Ganderbal and Kishtwar district, 2 in Ramban district and one each in Baramulla and Budgam districts.

As per the RFQ, aggregate capital costs must not be less than Rs 0.75 crore per MW for the bidding company or consortium.

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German ambassador inaugurates solar plant in Baramulla village...

 

As a mark of his country's growing interest in the state, with special focus on development issues, the German ambassador to India Michael Steiner arrived here on Tuesday on his ninth visit this year.

The ambassador travelled to a remote village in Baramulla district to inaugurate a mini-solar plant and a television system donated by the German embassy after it came to know that the villagers loved sports but could not watch matches due to lack of electricity.

"My visit to Kashmir is a part of our continuous social and civic commitment towards this troubled place, covering fields from healthcare to education. Within our limited possibilities, we lend focussed, sustainable support on a people-to-people basis. Our engagement is about striking a true chord with the Kashmiris," said Steiner.

The ambassador also interacted with the villagers and attended a music concert.

Steiner is scheduled to visit the H.E.L.P. Foundation Orphanage in Srinagar on Wednesday to interact with children, and would hand over a new 40-seater bus for a school in Kupwara, 90 km north of Srinagar.

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