Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, November 8

The residents of Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh can expect uninterrupted power even during winter months as cables supplying electricity to the tribal valley have been routed through the all-weather Atal Tunnel.

Lahaul was earlier fed power through a 33-kV transmission line that emanated from a substation in Palchan (Kullu district), passed though Rohtang Pass and had its endpoint in Sissu (a town in Lahaul).

New grid laid

• New transmission line has been routed to Lahaul via Atal Tunnel
• The only power line to the valley earlier passed through Rohtang
• Earlier, snags couldn’t be rectified for months at Rohtang due to heavy snow

As Rohtang remained inaccessible for three to four months due to heavy snow, restoring power was difficult in case of a breakdown, said Sanjay Kaushal, HP State Electricity Board’s (HPSEB) Superintendent Engineer at Kullu. “The 4.5-MW Thirot powerhouse in Lahaul used to light up the tribal valley whenever a snag occurred at Rohtang. But due to its limited generation, a large portion of the tribal belt went without power for weeks or even months,” he said. Kaushal said work on the project to provide alternate and reliable 33kV grid connectivity for Lahaul had been completed by routing XLPE (cross linked polyethylene) cable through the tunnel. “A joint team comprising HPSEB and BRO engineers was testing the power line for the past around a fortnight. The installation has been completed a week ahead of the November 15 deadline. The supply load to Lahaul valley has been shifted to the new transmission link,” he said. About 8,000 consumers under Keylong electrical division are expected to benefit from the new line. Hailing the government and the HPSEB for fulfilling their long-pending demand, Lahaul residents said it would prove a boon for the valley, which had emerged as a tourist hub after the opening of the Atal Tunnel.