Directs upgradation of Centaur receiving station, asks officials to draw comprehensive contingency plan for winters

SRINAGAR: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor Baseer Ahmad Khan today inspected the key works of the Power Development Department (PDD) in Srinagar and Ganderbal districts.
The areas he visited included receiving station Centaur, Gulab Bagh, Alusteng. During his visit to Centaur receiving station, he directed its upgradation from 6.3 MVA to 12.6 MVA to provide adequate power supply. He was informed by the officers that the receiving station will be completed before the onset of winter.
During the inspection the Advisor also directed the officers to develop a contingency plan in order to meet the winter requirements which witnesses a heavy load. He also asked them to identify the vulnerable areas that witness power shutdown during winters so that mobile transformers would be kept at their disposal. He further directed them to complete the trimming or cutting down of trees near power lines by October to avoid any damages during winters.
He also asked them to keep buffer stock of transformers of different capacities available so that consumers are provided adequate power supply. The Advisor was briefed about the present status of the power supply and steps being taken to improve and augment the power scenario to ensure adequate power supply to the consumers especially during winters.
The Advisor said that the Lieutenant Governor of the UT wants that people should feel a real change in power supply by the onset of this winter and directed officers to work in this regard. He said that people of the UT have to be provided adequate power supply.
Regarding strengthening of the Power sector, the Advisor was informed that PDD was undergoing major reforms to address shortcomings in this sector that would augment electricity supply in Kashmir valley, especially during the winter season. He was also informed that 25 receiving stations are being upgraded that would enhance our capacity to a large extent.
During his visit, the Advisor directed the executing agencies to expedite the pace of work on various projects for their timely completion. He stressed upon the officers for constant monitoring of these projects so that tangible results are achieved on the ground.
The Advisor while discussing the distribution infrastructure said that sufficient funds have been made available for creating better distribution infrastructure and directed concerned for speeding up the execution of various works and maintained that officers should remove the bottlenecks, if any, so that these are completed within the stipulated time frame.
Emphasizing the need for repair workshops at divisional and district levels, the Advisor directed the officers for speedy completion and upgradation of these workshops at an earliest so that the damaged transformers are repaired at these workshops which would in turn lower our financial costs. He was informed that most of these workshops are functional.
The Advisor was informed that the PDD is working proactively by going for active metering and 40 towns have been covered under smart metering in Srinagar city. He also directed them to check power pilfirage and go for modernisation and reformation measures to check transmission and distribution losses.
The Advisor while discussing the condition of distribution infrastructure asked the officers to identify all worn-out poles, transformers and conductor in the region so that sufficient funds are made available to replace the same on a mission mode for creating better distribution infrastructure.
The officers assured the Advisor that the department is taking all possible measures to maintain stable power supply during winters and all the directions will be followed in letter and spirit.

KR Desk