Central Government Boosts Uttarakhand Power Infrastructure with ₹547.83 Crore Sanction



The Central Government is giving a big boost to Uttarakhand’s electricity system, approving ₹547. 83 crore right now to make power supply better. This urgent money will go to key projects in Rishikesh and Dehradun, helping to fix old lines and set up smart power tools. The move aims to light up more homes and businesses, especially in areas that often face power cuts. This fresh help comes at a crucial time for a state that struggles with not enough power, promising to bring stable and steady electricity to many people and push forward vital work to get reliable power to everyone for daily life and growth.

New Funds for Better Power

The central government has approved a significant sum of money, ₹547. 83 crore, to improve the power system in Uttarakhand. This large fund will go towards two major projects aimed at making electricity supply more reliable and safer in crucial parts of the state. One project involves putting power lines underground in Rishikesh. the other is about setting up a modern system called SCADA in Dehradun. These projects are a big step towards updating the power network in Uttarakhand, a state known for its vital holy sites and growing urban areas. The goal is to make sure homes and businesses have steady and safe electricity.

Why Rishikesh Needs New Power Lines

In the city of Rishikesh, the approved money will be used to replace old power lines that run overhead with new ones that are buried underground. For a long time, the city has had wires hanging above streets and markets. These overhead lines can break easily, especially during bad weather like storms, leading to power cuts. They also pose a risk to public safety and make the city look less appealing. The move to underground power lines aims to solve these problems. It is expected to greatly reduce the number of times power goes out, making the electricity supply more stable for everyone. By taking the wires off the poles and putting them below the ground, the risk of electrical dangers will also go down. This change will also make Rishikesh look much cleaner and more organized, removing the messy look of wires in busy areas. Officials have pointed out that this upgrade will also help save money on upkeep over a long period and make the city’s power system stronger against extreme weather events. It will clear the web of wires from crowded markets and make it easier to move around.

The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said that these projects will “improve safety, boost efficiency. support the growing energy demands of urban and semi-urban areas.” He added that “Underground cabling will ensure a more stable power supply, provide protection from disaster and weather-related disruptions, reduce maintenance costs. enhance urban aesthetics.”

Smart Power for Dehradun

The funds will also be used to bring smart technology to Dehradun’s power system. The city will get an advanced system known as SCADA, which stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. This system will make the power grid in Dehradun digital and much more efficient. With SCADA, power workers will be able to watch the electricity supply in real-time. This means they can see exactly what is happening with the power distribution at any moment. If there is a problem or a fault in the system, SCADA will help find it very quickly, allowing teams to fix it faster. It will also help manage how much electricity is being used at different times, making the power supply more stable and preventing overloads. This technology is a key part of making Dehradun a “smart city” with an advanced power network that serves homes, businesses. big organizations better.

Why Uttarakhand Needs Power Upgrades

Uttarakhand, like many growing regions, has been facing challenges in its power sector. The demand for electricity has been increasing rapidly, both from homes and from businesses and factories. This fast growth in demand has sometimes put a strain on the existing power lines and stations. In fact, due to this strain, the state had to cut power in some areas during 2022 and 2023. Back in March 2019, almost every home in Uttarakhand got electricity connection under a special government plan, which was a big success. But, this also meant that many more homes were now using electricity, adding to the pressure on the power system. Experts believe that the need for electricity in the state will keep growing by about 5. 5% each year between 2023 and 2027. Currently, the power lines and stations are not enough to bring all the electricity that could be made from new projects in the state. Also, Uttarakhand often has to buy about half of the electricity it needs from other places because it cannot make enough on its own. In some parts of the state, a lot of electricity is lost during distribution. For example, in Dehradun, about 45% of electricity is lost before it reaches the users. Providing power to villages in the mountains is also very hard and costly due to the rough land, bad weather. homes being far apart.

Making Power Supply Stronger

The combined effect of these new projects, the underground cabling in Rishikesh and the SCADA system in Dehradun, is expected to make the overall power system in Uttarakhand much stronger. These changes are vital for ensuring that people have a constant and steady supply of power. They also make urban areas safer by reducing risks from old, exposed wires. A steady power supply is key for the economy to grow, as businesses and industries need reliable electricity to operate. The Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, shared his thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this approval. He spoke about the idea of a “double-engine government,” which means both the central government and the state government work together to speed up development. This funding is seen as an example of such cooperation, aimed at helping Uttarakhand move forward. The state government has been actively trying to update its power system to meet modern needs.

Government’s Bigger Plan for Power

The central government’s approval of funds for Uttarakhand fits into a larger plan to improve power systems across the country. One crucial initiative is the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), which aims to make the electricity supply better and ensure that even faraway areas get power. The national government has set a big target to produce 500 gigawatts of electricity from clean sources like solar and wind by the year 2030. Power projects that use water (hydro projects) are a very crucial part of reaching this goal. The central government is also taking steps like setting rules for buying hydro power and making it easier for hydro projects to connect to the main power lines, all to help these projects grow. The state of Uttarakhand is also trying to make more use of its own power sources, especially small hydropower and solar energy, to bridge the gap between how much power it needs and how much it can make. State leaders have also asked the central government for support to build more small hydro power projects and for financial help for these projects in the Himalayan states. These efforts highlight a shared commitment to building a stronger, more reliable. cleaner power future for Uttarakhand and other parts of the country. Central Government Boosts Uttarakhand Power Infrastructure with ₹547.83 Crore Sanction illustration

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