In a major boost to Ladakh’s power infrastructure, the Government of India has approved a revised project cost of ₹1,925.28 crore under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP)-2015 for the Nubra and Zanskar transmission lines and grid stations.
The proposal to revise the project cost from ₹1,203.08 crore to ₹1,925.28 crore was submitted in 2022–23. Over the past two years, the Monitoring Committee of the Ministry of Power thoroughly scrutinized every aspect of the cost escalation proposal before granting approval. With this sanction, the project is now expected to be completed by October 2026.
The 220 KV Phyang–Disket and Drass–Padum transmission lines were initially approved under the PMDP-2015 scheme with an awarded cost of ₹1,203.08 crore. The project is being implemented by REC Power Development and Company Limited (RECPDCL), while POWERGRID is providing project management and consultancy services. RECPDCL awarded the project in July 2021.
The Ministry of Power, through its order dated 16 September, has formally accorded administrative and financial approval for the Revised Cost Estimate-II of ₹1,925.28 crore for intra-state transmission projects in Ladakh. This sanction ensures the timely execution of crucial transmission projects that will significantly strengthen the power infrastructure in the Nubra and Zanskar valleys.
With this revised approval, work on the stalled 220 KV transmission line will now resume on a war footing. The project will greatly benefit Nubra and Zanskar by enabling the phasing out of diesel generator (DG) sets currently used for power generation. Around 20 DG stations of 7 MVA capacity in Nubra and 8 DG stations of 5 MVA capacity in Zanskar will be phased out once the transmission lines are operational.
Additional realignments have also been carried out in the project at Manman Top in Drass (snow ski site), Drang Drung Glacier, and Shakar Markim villages of Zanskar, keeping in view the overall development of the region and public interest. An amount of ₹99 crore has already been paid to the Wildlife Department for clearance of the 220 KV Phyang–Disket line.