Northernmost areas now connected to the national grid

State-run transmission utility PowerGrid has achieved a milestone by connecting India’s northernmost areas in Jammu & Kashmir into the national electricity network. This will help improve the supply in Ladakh and Kargil regions that have remained 95 per cent power deficit regions due to their isolated locations.

PowerGrid and Jammu and Kashmir power department switched on the Alusteng-Alunday stretch of the 350-kilometre Srinagar-Kargil-Leh transmission line on Monday, January 14, 2019. The foundation stone of the project was laid by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 12, 2014.

The project is not only expected to improve the quality of life with 24X7 power supply in the region,  but will also help in boosting the economic activity and employment through winter tourism. In addition, the project will save burning of millions of litres of diesel to run generators by the defence and civil establishments.

Since 2013, NHPC has been supplying power to Leh and Kargil towns from its two hydel projects built at Nimmoo-Bazgo and Chutak. However, these hydel stations were running at sub-optimal levels in the absence of grid connectivity.

With commission of the projects these hydro power stations will be able to run at full capacity, feeding surplus power into the northern grid during summer as well as can draw 100-150 MW in winter in a situation of reduced flow that hampers generation.

The line will also help Ladakh-Kargil region to evacuate of power with aggregate capacity of 7.5 GW from the proposed solar projects in the region.