A story of Ramu and the Vidhut Vibhag Karamchaaris

By Denis Giles

Patting his palm gently followed by a vigorous rubbing, Ramu stuffed his mouth with Baagbaan Kaagaj Paan. Once firmly placed under his tongue, he dusted his palm and looked towards me.

Sir, he said …” I am engaged all day in my farm. I return home by evening to take some rest but I haven’t been able to sleep for the past few months.”

What’s the reason, I asked? Is there anything that’s bothering you?

Spitting out his Paan, clearing his throat, he replied in feeble voice … “most of the days there’s no Batti at home. For hours we spend our lives in darkness. The Batti comes for some time and then it vanishes for the next few hours. The situation continues till the day breaks. “

Hmm, I replied, not knowing how to respond to his situation. Ramu continued his helpless banter sensing my lack of words.

“I tried having a ‘lovely’ from the nearby Bar to get some peace of mind. But it’s a very costly alternative nowadays to get some sleep. The cost of alcohol too has gone sky rocketing in the Islands today. The Bar owner told me that the Islands has been generating a lot of revenue for the nation by increasing the price of alcohol.

“Dhanda manda hai Sir! Batti gull hai, aur daaru maarne ka bhi paisa nahi”,

he adds as he picks up his jhola for another hard day at his farm followed by a sleepless night.

The situation of Ramu is more or less the same as us Islanders, I realized. Many of us might have installed generators and inverters at home to get some momentary relief, but the question that lingers in my mind after having a word with Ramu is:

Is there any solution to this never ending crisis situation in the Islands?

How the crisis actually came into being in first place?

Was it a natural side effect of something or Has it been created on purpose?

And ultimately whether the meetings of the Chief Secretary with the Vidhyut Vibhag Karamchaaris would be able to resolve the crisis?

As umpteen questions loomed over us, Andaman Chronicle tried to do a bit of research to bring solace to everyone’s hearts and a clarity for everyone’s minds. We got up and set off on a journey to at least try to find the root cause of the crisis that the islanders have been dealing with.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands are like no other land that constitutes our nation India. It has been firmly established by many past tragedies as well as overwhelming successes that how our Islands need to be treated differently owing to its geographical setup. However still after harsh lessons the ‘Transferable Administration’ have been running the show and unfortunately failing at it.

Many factors need to be catered while administering these Islands, main one being the Carrying Capacity of our lands. There have been ‘n’ number of studies that have suggested to keep a check on the Carrying Capacity of the Islands. Whether it is the population or the development sector, checks & balances are required to sustain. Else, the doom is set to be. There are many aspects when it comes to the term ‘carrying capacity’ or in easy terms ‘load bearing capacity’. Haphazard development, ill will and corruption in the system have overlooked all these aspects, resulting in a manmade crisis situation. One such aspect is the never ending crisis of electricity, which the Islands and its islanders have been dealing with. The question is, whether there is a real crisis of electricity (power generation) in the Islands? Or has it cropped up because of the ignorance and clandestine motifs?

The power situation has worsened in the year 2021 and 2022. To meet the emergency, the islanders ranging from lower middle class to the high class have opted for an easy solution- installation of an inverter. This has led to a drastic increase in the sale, quite a good opportunity for the sellers. The welcoming of inverters to every 5th household might have stopped the consumers from complaining or it must have been that the consumers lost their faith in administration itself, but whatever the reason is, being mum on it doesn’t solve the problem.

Power Crisis and the Vidhyut Vibhag:

Having explained the above, let us now try and understand how the situation of electricity supply has worsened and the functioning of the ‘Vidyut Vibhag’ of A&N Administration has degraded over the years.

This is the same ‘Vidyut Vibhag’ of A&N Administration, which was lauded in 2004 for reviving power within 24 hours in Port Blair after the worst hit Tsunami. With many of the Engineers of that time still serving in the Vibhag, why have they become so insensitive to the people’s problem? Has this insensitivity percolated from the top or is it an outcome of poor and visionless leadership?

It is not that the Islands have not faced power crisis before, but things were sorted out and restored within a short span. However, this time the period of crisis has been the longest ever with situation worsening with each passing day. It would not be surprising if we witness a total collapse of the system, which may be difficult to revive and we all know is soon approaching.

The Demand and Supply:

The Andaman & Nicobar are a group of around 836 islands / islets and rocky strata out of which only 38 islands are inhabited. Out of the three districts, South Andaman is densely populated followed by North and Middle Andaman. The power requirement in these Islands is largely in the residential sector followed by commercial sector and then hospitality / tourism sector. In the absence of any major industries, the peak load occurs in the evening and therefore all the planning in the power sector has to be considered to meet this short duration requirement. Andaman Chronicle’s research indicates that present peak demand is around 61 MW and to meet this demand, the total working power capacity is around 110 MW. Adequate stand by capacity is a must in the island scenario.

The total yearly generation was around 330 million units in 2021 out of which 91% was met via diesel generation. The rest was from renewable (mix of Hydro and Solar). Due to diesel dependency and higher losses, the cost of power generation is around Rs. 28/- per unit, probably the highest in India. Our losses in Transmission & Distribution system are in the range of 25 to 29%.

The ill will and the need based development:

In the 1980s and 90s major steps were taken for establishing last mile connectivity in order to deliver power to every nook and corner of the inhabited islands. Some of the great works carried out during that era still stand today, however in dilapidated condition crying out for maintenance. It’s not that there has not been addition, but whatever sprung up was not a part of any major plan. The example is the change in power lines along the roadside, which has only been a need based development to accommodate the National Highway project. Another example was the transmission and distribution related works carried out by PGCIL as a part of Tsunami revival plan.

These Islands have also seen a world class power house in Bambooflat of 20 MW capacity equipped with the latest technology of that time. However, it is very sad that such an asset created under a Government Policy lies as a waste occupying a large chunk of precious land in one of the best location since 2017. The rugged machines alongwith its auxiliaries have not only been considered as a scrap, also the investments in its power evacuation can be strongly termed as a wasteful expenditure. No action has been taken since it breathed its last power output in 2017. The officials of the Vidhyut Vibhag seem to be busy in making plans for filling their Annual Performance Report. They seem to be playing safe and thus ignoring the ground level execution.

The Mushrooming of Hired Power Plants:

The short sightedness and personal gains have created a havoc on our Islands. Officers want to glide through their tenure with no obstruction, hence keeping away from undertaking any major project of development as well as refinement in power industry. This is one of the major reason behind mushrooming of diesel power plants across the Islands in the name of Hired Power Plants (HPPs) a term unknown to the mainlanders. Well what are these hired power plants?

The Hired Power Plants are nothing but small capacity diesel generating power plants owned and operated by private bodies running without any grid code. There is no technological control over these mushrooming diesel power plants as the only mode of control is through a VHF communication system, something like a Walkie Talkie. The engineers running the show sit in an air-conditioned chamber and try to manage the power show either over phone or over this Walkie Talkie.

The Solar Power Plant:

These Islands can also boast about one of the largest Solar Power Plant (SPP) with battery backup, one of its kind in 2020s. This power plant had many companions over the period of time. This solar plant was dreamt by one, planned by another, conceived by the next and executed by someone, altogether new. This all was done under the direction and guidance of the Ministry. However, this mega solar project for these Islands soon became a bone in the throat. Why? We all know the reason by now. Short sightedness and Poor execution. These solar plants were effective but our own system was not geared up to handle the generation from this plant.

Our Vidhyut engineers who were enjoying a complacent position started facing grid imbalances and most of the engineers started criticizing and cursing this project without peeping down their own neckline. Spreading rumors that all the disruptions were happening due to solar plants, of course this was well taken in by the diesel lobby and it traders.

This is the time to appreciate that the solar power resource is free, abundant, cost effective, sustainable and guarantees output even in difficult times like natural calamity or manmade disruption in the sea route.

Need for a Common Grid and the OSOWOG:

We are well aware that the One Sun One World One Grid Declaration (OSOWOG) was jointly released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the COP26 Climate Meet in Glasgow.

It is being realised that the vision of OSOWOG through interconnected green grids can be transformational. It will not only enable all nations to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement to prevent dangerous climate change but these efforts can stimulate green investments and create millions of good jobs. By sharing the sun's energy, one can help to build a more peaceful and prosperous world, the OSOWOG declaration added.

The Objective of OSOWOG: While the sun is the source of all energy and solar energy is totally clean and sustainable, it is available only during the day time and is dependent on the weather. OSOWOG is the solution to this challenge. Its objective is to aid in developing a worldwide grid through which clean energy can be transmitted anywhere, anytime (use power at night in one part of the world from solar energy generated on other side of the world where it is day time). It also aims to help in reducing storage needs and enhancing the viability of solar projects. Its ultimate goal is to reduce carbon footprints and energy costs.

The major power consumption in the Islands i.e. more than 95% is in five major islands with South Andaman (72%), North and Middle Andaman (16%), Little Andaman, Swaraj Dweep and Shaheed Dweep together (6%) of the total. Rest of the Islands consume only 5% of the total. The major challenge facing the Vidhyut Vibhag is the disconnect between the islands and the absence of a unified grid.

The question is, when the nation led by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and the world acknowledges the need for interconnected green grid and the need to reduce carbon footprints, why should the Islands not understand its importance and be bent upon adding to the carbon footprints? Why can’t we think of a unified grid? Why can’t we think of having solar plants across the inhabited islands and uniformly distributing it as per the requirement of the islands? When the OFC can connect Chennai to Andaman, isn’t there a way out to connect all inhabited islands through undersea cables?

Plans for Power Augmentation:

The focus of power planning should be to meet the peak requirement of each and every island taking into account the island wise growth rate and expected rise in the next 10 years. While formulating mixed plans (Renewable plus non-renewable), it should always be borne in mind that whatever is generated has to be consumed in the island itself including the disturbances/ power fluctuations, until the islands are connected through cables.

Plans for power augmentation should be meticulously made to avoid changes time and again, as such actions is said to cause delay in its execution if it undergoes repeated changes.

Being an island territory, it is a well-established fact that dependence on resources like oil, coal and gas will have a devastating effect in case of calamities like war or sea route disruptions. The Islands should therefore have a good mix of natural resources that are locally available to meet any instant requirements for at least six months.

Short Term Plan:

Some of the short term plans for power augmentation in the Islands can be: Introduction of Grid Code for improving the power quality. Setting up of load dispatch system, Effective utilization of Energy Management Centre (which was recently inaugurated by the Hon’ble Home Minister of India during his visit) for minimizing disruptions and Installation of energy storage batteries as advised by SECI for Port Blair.

Long Term Plan:

Long term plans may include a mix of renewable and non-renewable energy as suggested by the Expert Group in 2021 for optimal power solutions. Healthy power evacuation and power transfer system, Grid connectivity between various islands, enhancing the voltage level for efficient transfer of power, HV cables for minimising disruption and double circuits for redundancy are few others that needs consideration. There should also be interventions to reduce the demand and supply gap. This can be achieved by stabilizing the demand through energy efficient appliances. Implementation of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) in commercial and Eco Niwas Samhita in Residential sector, Effective smart metering, Incentivizing the good consumers may also prove to be helpful.

The sub-works like transformer installation, laying of new lines, repair and maintenance of lines, tree cutting and pruning of branches could be outsourced for better services, in a scenario where the Vibhag seems to be facing shortage of skilled manpower and funds for infrastructure.

A well-equipped rapid action team for repair, restoration / revival, early redressal of fuse calls and setting up of Fuse Call Centres may also be considered keeping in mind the consumer satisfaction.

As it is rightly said, where there is a will there is a way. We have lots of ways; the need of the hour is only to find our will. This is high time we put an end to this crisis before it becomes an irreversible threat.