Power Dept cautions against activities along transmission lines

Dimapur, December 21 (MExN): The Nagaland Department of Power has directed citizens not to carry out activities that would cause damage to Extra High Voltage (EHV) transmission lines and disrupt power supply.

In a press release on Tuesday, the Chief Engineer (T&G) Penrithung Yanthan stated that the Power Department has been experiencing instances of major power disruptions that were caused by “unmindful felling of trees” on the Extra High Voltage (EHV) transmission lines by the public.

“The latest incident occurred on one of the 66kV EHV transmission lines on December 9, 2021, which caused total blackout to Kiphire and Phek districts for 2 days,” the CE informed, while adding that such types of power interruptions, which are non-technical and are avoidable, add up extra workload for the Department that is struggling with the shortage of staff.

Depending on the topography of the area of the incident, some of the cases even take days and weeks to restore, causing immense hardship to the public as well as the Department, he added. The CE also pointed out that snapping of the power lines due to felling of trees not only disrupts power but affects the health of the power lines and equipment in the sub-stations making them vulnerable to breakdowns. 

The official also informed that the Power Department regularly clears the vegetations within transmission corridors which traverse through the forests and plantations. However, in the event that members of the public wish to fell trees near the transmission lines, “it ought to be brought to the notice of the Department so that the Department can plan out the shutdown for the purpose.” Further, the Department has come across people carrying out plantations below or close to the transmission lines, which later interfere with the power lines and also endanger human and animal lives, the CE stated while advising against plantations below or near the transmission lines.

Stating that damaging an electric supply line is a punishable offence under the Electricity Act 2003, it cautioned that the Department would take a serious view on the matter and book offenders as per the provisions of the law.