Hakkal grid station still not operational

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 13

Even as residents of Chatta, Indira Nagar, Ghadi Garh, Bhour Camp and adjoining areas reel under severe power crisis, the Power Development Department (PDD) seems to be least interested in making the Hakkal grid station functional to streamline the electricity supply in these areas.

According to locals, the power grid station has been completed about six months ago, but it has not been made functional due to “inexcusable” pleas made by the authorities concerned, which has been forcing the people to face unbridled and unscheduled power cuts amid humid conditions.

“Six months have passed since the work on this grid station was completed, but it has not been made operational to date for reasons best known to the authorities. Over one lakh population has been facing power cuts every alternate hour since long. Had this grid station would have been made operational before the onset of summers, it would have provided much-needed succour to the people, but it did not happen,” Amrit Bali, former sarpanch, Bhour Camp, said.

He said they approached the officers concerned who were unable to give satisfactory replies. “This is really unpardonable on the part of the authorities concerned that this important grid station has not been made functional so far. We fail to understand why it hasn’t been inaugurated till now,” he added.

A senior official of the PDD, however, informed that this 10-MVA grid station was completed almost six months back, but could not be made functional because the poor infrastructure at different levels had held up its functioning.

“The transmission lines and transformers to be connected with this grid station are of not sufficient capacity. The grid station project is the part of the infrastructural upgrade being made by IRCON. Besides, the department does not have enough manpower, including technicians and junior engineers, to run the grid station. There are logistical challenges before the department, which are major hindrances for the operation of this grid station,” the official added.

As of now, the local populace is being supplied electricity from two feeders with the capacity of 3.5 MVA and 6.3 MVA. Due to overload on the existing feeders, the department enforces electricity cuts either on alternate hours or after every two hours to regulate the power supply.

When contacted, Vinod Kumar Baloch, Executive Engineer, Sub-Transmission Division (STD)-II, Jammu, said the 10-MVA grid station would cater to about 4,000 people and claimed it would be made functional within a month.

“There are certain technical issues which are to be tackled. We are hopeful of making this grid station functional in the next one month,” he added.