Spiti residents demand power station at Tabo village in Kaza subdivision

Dipender Manta

Mandi, January 11

Residents of the Spiti region are urging the state government to set up a 66-KV substation at Tabo village in Kaza subdivision to ensure regular power supply in Spiti during the winter season.

Currently, the power supply is being provided from Kinnaur district, which is almost 300 km away. In case of any fault in the power lines because of heavy snowfall, the power supply to Spiti gets disrupted for days together. Due to the long distance, it takes days for the HP State Electricity Board (HPSEB) authorities to restore power supply to the tribal region.

Sonam Targe, a resident of Spiti, said “Every year during winters, residents face power supply disruptions for days at a stretch because of heavy snowfall in Kinnaur district. So, we request the state government to set up a 66-KV substation at Tabo village, which will play a crucial role in ensuring regular power supply to Spiti in the harsh winters. Last year, we had submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Governor during his visit to Spiti.”

A 2-MW power project, known as Rongtong, is present in the region, but it remains dysfunctional most of the time. The project authorities must be asked to keep it functional all the time, he added.

“We request the state government to set up a solar power project in Spiti to meet the demand of power supply in this region,’’ another resident, Tenzin Takpa, said.