J&K to uplift supply lines

Power grid to start construction of the Leh transmission system

Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd will soon start constructing the Leh transmission system, consisting of the 220 KV Srinagar-Leh line and four 220/33 KV substations.

According to a spokesman of the corporation, the project is being undertaken under the Prime Minister's package of power development schemes for Jammu and Kashmir. It was announced by Manmohan Singh during his visit to the state.

The transmission system, which will be owned by the J&K power development department (PDD), will be executed by Power Grid on a turnkey basis, involving an expenditure of Rs 634 crore.

Apart from connecting Srinagar with Leh, it will have four 220/33 KV substations, one each in Drass, Kargil, Khaltsi, and Leh.

The execution of the projects will be taken up after an agreement is signed between the Union government, the J&K power department and Power Grid.

The line will pass through a difficult terrain comprising snow zones from Gagangeer to Ghumri (around 60 km), high-security areas close to the line of control (LOC) between Drass and Kargil (about 60 km), and cold and dry areas of Ladakh (about 220 km).

The road beyond Gagangeer to Ghumri, about 60 km, generally remains closed for six months, from mid-November to mid-May due to massive snowfall and landslides.

The normal working period is not more than seven hours a day and six months a year due to low temperature and high altitude and road closure.

Moreover, there is restricted traffic movement during the six months' working period due to the movement of army convoys and landslides.

The spokesman further said transformers might have to be airlifted because of the low capacity of road bridges.

The route alignment for this transmission system has been undertaken using satellite imageries through the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) of the department of space.

The placement of towers in avalanche-prone areas will be decided in consultation with the Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment, an undertaking under the ministry of defence. The project is scheduled to start next month.

At present, the Ladakh region is not connected with the Northern Grid. There are some small hydro power plants, which supply power in an isolated manner. And, the generation gets reduced in winter.

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• The project is being undertaken under the Prime Minister's package of power development schemes for Jammu and Kashmir
• The transmission system will be executed by Power Grid on a turnkey basis, involving an expenditure of Rs 634 crore
• The execution of the projects will be taken up after an agreement is signed between the Centre, the J&K power department and Power Grid