Itanagar, Jul 14: In a puzzling development, two 25-metre-high steel power transmission towers and an entire stretch of an alternative electricity transmission line have reportedly disappeared from Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Dibang Valley, raising serious concerns over the safety and monitoring of critical public infrastructure.
The missing towers were located across the Sisiri River between Aohali and Dambuk. Built under the Government of India's Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) scheme at a reported cost of more than Rs 3 crore, the infrastructure formed the only 11 kV transmission line supplying electricity to Dambuk and Paglam subdivisions through the Pasighat-Mebo feeder until 2022, when an XLPE cable link across the Dibang River became operational.
The disappearance of the towering steel structures and the transmission line has left residents and officials with more questions than answers.
Adding to the mystery, no FIR or formal complaint has reportedly been lodged. Sources said local residents were unaware that the towers had gone missing, as recurring power disruptions during the monsoon were generally attributed to landslides and other seasonal factors. The structures were reportedly last seen around one-and-a-half years ago.
The issue came to light after power supply to Dambuk sub-division became increasingly unreliable following a fault in the XLPE cable transmission system laid across the Dibang River. With the 132 kV transmission line being constructed by PowerGrid yet to be commissioned, the sub-division has been experiencing prolonged power outages.
According to sources, the missing transmission line had continued to serve as a vital backup whenever the primary transmission system developed faults. Its disappearance has effectively eliminated the only alternative power supply route, leaving Dambuk and Paglam sub-divisions dependent on a single transmission network.
The incident has raised several unanswered questions. If the infrastructure was dismantled, who authorised its removal? Was the Government of India informed before the structures were removed? If the towers were stolen, how could two 25-metre-high steel structures and an entire transmission line disappear without the knowledge of the authorities or local residents?
The transmission line was commissioned on April 21, 2015, when then Power Minister Tanga Byaling formally inaugurated the electricity supply to Dambuk, significantly improving power connectivity in the area.
In 2022, the power network was upgraded with the commissioning of an 11 kV overhead line and the laying of a 185 sq mm three-core 11 kV XLPE cable along the Dibang (Sikang) Bridge, directly connecting Dambuk to the 132 kV substation at Roing to ensure more reliable electricity supply.
However, the older transmission line continued to function as an important standby system during outages before it reportedly went missing.
As of filing this report, the Power Department had not issued any official statement clarifying whether the towers and transmission line had been dismantled under an authorised plan or whether their disappearance was the result of theft or any other unlawful act. It also remains unclear whether any departmental inquiry has been initiated into the matter.