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State needs Rs 30,000 Cr more to fully upgrade power network, say officials

100 new substations commissioned to boost power supply in state

By Rituraj Borthakur
State needs Rs 30,000 Cr more to fully upgrade power network, say officials
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More than 20,000 new transformers have been installed under different projects during the last three years. (Representational image)

Guwahati, July 14: Altogether 100 new distribution substations in the State were commissioned on Friday, in a big infrastructure push that is expected to improve power supply and bring down voltage fluctuation.

Another 96 substations – set up under the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)-assisted System Enhancement and Loss Reduction Project – is likely to be completed by December, officials said. The Rs 3,000-crore AIIB project is scheduled for completion in March, 2026.

The officials said that more than 20,000 new transformers have been installed under different projects during the last three years. Simultaneously, under the Central government’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), 12,000 km of new HT (high tension) lines have been installed, and 15,000 km of LT (low tension) lines converted from bare conductors to insulated cables.

“The infrastructure upgrade has directly improved power supply. Supply interruptions are coming down and in the last three years, the State recorded an additional consumption of 2,000 million units. Per capita availability of power has grown at the rate of 5.72, close to the national average of 6.55,” the officials claimed.

However, the infrastructure still has huge gaps, and according to an estimate an investment of around Rs 30,000 crore will be required to completely revamp the transmission and distribution network in the State.

A beneficial HT to LT line length ratio in a power distribution system is generally considered to be around 1:1.2. This ratio helps to minimize distribution losses and improve voltage regulation at the consumer end. But in Assam it is around 1:3. The State has around 3 lakh km of LT lines at present and most of it is in poor condition.

“There have been constraints of funds and topography. Of the total requirement of Rs 30,000 crore, the government could mobilize Rs 3,000 crore from AIIB and Rs 2,500 under the RDSS. The systemic constraints which are forcing the outages can only be overcome through complete overhaul of the conductors,” the officials said.

The aggregate technical & commercial (AT&C) losses in the State in the year ending March 2025 was 15.4 per cent.




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