The COVID lockdown has caused delay in some major power projects in Kashmir, officials said.
The officials told Greater Kashmir that the J&K Power Department was working on multiple projects which by late 2020 were supposed to add nearly 400 MWs to the system in the valley.
The projects, if completed by the earlier deadline of late 2020 would have taken the power handling capacity in the valley from 1450 MWS to around 1800 MWS this winter, officials said.
“At the time COVID hit us, we were working on multiple projects in transmission as well as in distribution wings. The projects included building of new grids, augmentation of older projects, finishing of languishing projects and also many projects in distribution sector. We were supposed to finish majority of these projects by Oct-Nov this year but as the work got hit, the deadline was impossible to meet,” a senior official said.
The official said that in transmission, the work on Delina, Lassipora and Harwan Grids which were the major projects got stalled. “These three projects were supposed to add nearly 400 MWs to our power handling capacity by the end of this year. The deadline however had to be extended as the work was stopped for months due to COVID,” said the official.
In addition to this, the officials said that other projects that they were working on under centrally funded IPDS, RAPDRP and DDUGJY were also hit.
While talking to Greater Kashmir, Chief Engineer projects, Javaid Yousuf Dar said that the work on these projects is going on fast track basis now and by mid 2021, the work will be completed.
“The work on projects in Lassipora, Delina and Harwan is on and will be finished by mid-2021. Some the projects will be completed by April if everything goes as per plan,” Dar said.
The project of Lassipora and Harwan which will add 320 MVA to the system is being funded under PMDP. The Delina grid augmentation which will add 160 MVA is funded by erstwhile state’s languishing projects program.