Reason: reduced power generation from hydro and thermal plants
Due to low power generation from hydro and thermal power generating stations and the resultant power shortfall, Department of Power, Nagaland (DoPN) Dimapur transmission division said it was being compelled to impose "forced load shedding."
In a press note, Dimapur transmission division executive engineer informed that coal-fired thermal power plant generation decreased due to unprecedented coal supply shortage all over India. To meets its power demand, Nagaland is mostly dependent on power allocation from Inter State Generating Station comprising of hydel, gas and thermal power plants, out of which coal-based thermal power plant comprises about 36% of the State’s total allocation.
In addition to this, the executive engineer pointed out that rainfall in catchment areas of most hydel projects had been very low this year, affecting power generation in the hydel power plants.
The department has requested the public to extend co-operation and bear with the inconvenience.
It may be mentioned that the Dimapur electrical division on September 22 informed that the department would be carrying out raid and disconnection drive for non-payment of electricity bills and all other illegal activities like meter tampering and hooking for all categories of consumers within its jurisdiction without further notice.
In August last, the department had said that consumers in Dimapur increased from 1.07 lakh in 2018-19 to 1.11 lakh in 2021-22 while factors responsible for revenue gap were– power theft (20%), no meter reading (40%) and non-payment of electricity bill (40%).