Wokha: Residents of Nagaland’s capital Kohima and several districts face potential blackouts due to repeated theft of crucial power transmission tower parts.
The latest incident occurred on April 27th, when tower number 16 on the 132 kV Wokha-Sanis transmission line collapsed near the Riphyim Old area in the Wokha district.
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An inspection by the power department revealed that essential nuts and bolts were stolen, deliberately causing the collapse.
This follows a similar theft on April 20th, which disrupted power evacuation from the Likimro Hydroelectric Project (HEP).
The DoP expressed serious concern, highlighting the critical role of the 132 kV line in supplying power from the Doyang HEP and connecting the state grid.
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They revealed that the line was only restored in 2016 after previous thefts and damage.
The collapse of Tower Number 16 creates a fragile situation.
Any fault on the Dimapur-Kohima-Karong transmission line could plunge Kohima, Wokha (including its upper range and main town), Tseminyu, and parts of Manipur into complete darkness.
Additionally, the power supply would be significantly impacted in the upper regions of Wokha and Tseminyu even with minor breakdowns.
The department said that it is working tirelessly to restore the collapsed towers.
They have filed a police complaint and urged village councils, civil society organizations, and the public to assist in apprehending the culprits.