September 19, 2025: Plans to establish an Extra High Voltage (EHV) substation in Virar West remain mired in delay more than a decade after the project was first proposed. The Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MSETCL) was allocated a 23,000-square-metre plot at Chikhal Dongre in January 2020, yet ownership of the land continues to rest with the state government, preventing progress.
MSETCL officials confirmed that the tendering process for the 220/22 kV facility has been initiated and a work order issued to the agency responsible. They also stated that efforts are underway to formally transfer the land to enable commissioning of the project. The original plan, announced in 2013 at an estimated cost of Rs 12.34 crore, has been stalled for years despite being regarded as critical to Virar’s growing residential and commercial power demands.
Local activists argue that the prolonged delay has placed unsustainable pressure on existing feeders, many of which are running at full capacity and frequently overloaded. Thousands of new electricity connections in Virar were reportedly approved on the assumption that the substation would be operational, exacerbating strain on the network.
“The project is essential to reduce load on the current infrastructure. Without it, residents are forced to bear the consequences of power lines stretched far beyond their capacity,” said Yogesh Vaidya of Swaraj Abhiyan, a Vasai-based NGO campaigning for the timely establishment of substations.
MSETCL, however, maintains that the substation will be commissioned once the land ownership issue is resolved. A senior official said: “The work order has already been issued. We are actively pursuing the transfer of the plot, and the project will move forward once this is completed.”
Until then, concerns remain over whether Virar’s expanding power needs can be met without compromising the stability of its supply network.
Source: The Times Of India
