By Our Reporter
Shillong: Forty eight four hours after NEHU was plunged into darkness, Vice Chancellor of NEHU Prof AN Rai has informed that the university has purchased a 1 MVA transformer costing over Rs 15 lakh and power supply would be restored earliest by Wednesday.
“The newly-purchased transformer will cover up to 70 percent of the electricity demand in the campus”, Prof Rai told media persons here on Tuesday while stating that since the current load of NEHU is 1.5 MVA, the transformer will be able to meet the requirements till the repaired 3 MW transformer arrives.
The premier central university of the region-NEHU was plunged into darkness on Sunday afternoon at about 2 pm due to the collapse of the 3 MVA transformer, which NEHU maintenance staff and engineers claimed was hit by lightning on Sunday.
With the newly-purchased transformer in place, the University will have to undergo load shedding and in this regard, the Vice Chancellor had organised a meeting with the representatives of various departments along with students’ representative to decide on the timing to be scheduled for the load shedding.
In accordance with this, the VC has stated that as per requirements, it was decided that during the day from 9am to 5pm, electricity will be limited to academic departments, administrative departments, laboratories, and examination departments besides others and from 5pm to 9am, electricity will be provided to residences, hostels, guest houses and others.
Prof Rai has stated that the University is left with three choices after this crisis hit the premiere institution-to send it for repair to the workshop which will take a minimum of 45 days; to buy a new transformer but agencies like ABB and GEC have informed that this size transformer is not easily available and order has to be placed which will take around 2 and a half to three months and the third was to approach MeECL.
The VC also stated that a new 3MVA transformer is being processed and the price of the new transformer is Rs 25 crores.
Meanwhile, Prof Rai has refuted claims that the reason for the breakdown was not due to lightning strike but because of poor maintenance of the panels etc. “After inspection and testing by the authorized engineers of the General Electric Company (GEC)-Tinsukia, it was found that the high voltage transformer was severely damaged by lightning, to the extent that even the diaphragm was blown out and the coil inside is fully damaged”, Prof Rai reiterated.
Referring to the claims that a second standby transformer which should have been immediately activated has failed to start-up as it has been out of service since November-December last year and has not been repaired, Prof Rai informed that the repair was delayed due to poor response to the tender notice floated since January this year for repair and other works, while adhering to the prescribed financial norms.
Reacting to allegations on diversion of grants from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for uninterrupted power supply, NEHU Vice Chancellor has stated that from the amount of Rs 2.5 crores received, every penny has gone into improving the electrical network in the campus from buying transformer, new DG Sets with 11KVA at every sub stations to underground cables and providing distribution of cables.
Prof Rai informed that the University would look for a long-term plan and approach the MeECL for maintenance of the stations and sub-station to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the campus while stating that “Major agencies have the resources and man-power to run and maintain the stations.”
“This is not the first time that NEHU has experienced such crises as reported. there were occasions when the Institution had plunged into darkness for over a week or so”, Prof Rai said.