A proposal for laying underground power cables and ridding the city of electrical poles, is now under the consideration of Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited.
The Union government has been approached for funding and if everything goes well, the city will have underground power supply cables, according to APEPDCL Chairman-cum -Managing Director Ahmad Nadeem.
Talking to The Hindu here, he said the city will have an aesthetic look if all the poles, which are scattered in a haphazard manner, are removed. The Centre is actively considering the proposal and it is likely to fund the Rs. 170-crore project. The project envisages removal of electrical poles which are presently in lopsided positions and postures and ridding the city of dangling cables and loosely knit wires apart from reducing both technical and commercial losses.
The general public will also be free from dangers caused by the disabled cables in times of heavy rain, gales, and natural calamities. Over the years the city has gone through a metamorphosis on the development front and on many occasions the electrical poles had to be re-positioned and re-located to suit development strategies of the city planners. Besides, the project has technical advantages with regard to technical losses which occur on account of overloading of feeders and transformers, ageing of conductors, poor low tension and high tension ratio, poor voltage regulation, and low power factor.
The project will help bring down technical and commercial losses. For improving system reliability, work for implementing supervisory control and data acquisition can also be incorporated in the project.
There will also be a possibility to have specially designed mechanism to ensure power supply in case a transformer in the line stops.
Mr. Nadeem said proposals for establishing underground cable at religious destinations, including Arasavilli, Simhachalam, and Annavaram have been sent to the Union government for consideration.
