Power feeder sub-station on verge of collaps

Aizawl,Apr 26 : Mizoram's power and electricity department today expressed serious concern over its oldest and the largest 132KV power feeder sub-station, located in the northern outskirts of the city, was on verge of collapsing due to soil erosion.

Talking to UNI here today, Additional Chief Engineer H L Parthasarathy said for past three years the substation had been facing soil erosion.

The cracks that had appeared in 2003 because of sub-soil movement have become wider resulting in electric cables inside the station becoming more and more taut. Even the control room building has developed many cracks and was in danger of collapsing, he added.

The chief engineer said that there was on the spot examination of the sub-station by the department's engineers and their commissioner last Saturday. They decided to adopt three measures which were immediate, mid-term and long-term.

The long term measure would be to shift most of the sub-station to a place that has already been identified in Melriat village land on the southern suburbs of the state capital.

''We would be dismantling the power station immediately and have proposed to construct a new high power sub-station in Melrait'', he added.

North Eastern Council (NEC) has already approved Rs 10 crore for the construction of new substation, he said adding this new 220KV power feeder would be providing more power than the old one.

''The new project would be completed within two years of time'', he said.

Meanwhile, the Geology and Mining wing of the state Industries department said his people would conduct an investigation at the old power station about the soil movement.

UNI