In Bengaluru, brief spells of rain coupled with wind are enough to bring down electricity wires that are hanging dangerously low. Though the monsoon is just a month away, there is little progress in implementing solutions to tackle the problem.
The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) proposed two possible solutions to the problem: aerial bunching of cables (ABC) and taking the lines underground.
Of the 18,680 km low-tension (LT) lines, only 912.53 km have been aerially bunched while 1,161.91 km of lines have been taken underground (as on February 2017). For the 10,470.57 km of high-tension (HT) lines, aerial bunching has been done for 597.33 km, while 4,126.57 km have been taken underground.
However, Bescom does not intend to take all its lines underground or aerially bunch them; the power utility is choosing to do so only in areas where it is “needed”.
“In places where overhead lines pose a hazard, they will be bunched or taken underground. But all new lines will be either aerially bunched or taken underground,” said B.K. Uday Kumar, chief engineer (BMAZ), Bescom.
200 accidents a year
Significantly, Bescom has recorded over 200 accidents each year in the past five years. But officials say though wires snapping because of rain and wind is not uncommon, a majority of accidents occur due to unauthorised connections. In congested areas like Chikpet, wires are within reach of houses and people.
Trade activist Sajjan Raj Mehta, who has a shop in Chikpet, said, “Bescom has improved in many aspects, particularly in the complaints section and power supply. But not much has been done to improve wiring. In Sultanpet, Old Tharagupet and A.S. Char Street, wires get damaged or cut even during movement of heavy vehicles, leading to power interruption.”
Third option
Bescom is exploring a third option to aerial bunching and underground lines: covered conductors. Bare overhead conductors will be given a coating of insulation, an experiment which was tried on short stretches in Koramangala and Shivajinagar last year. “This is more cost effective than both aerial bunching and taking lines underground,” said Mr. Uday Kumar.
No more ABC for HT lines?
Bescom has decided to put an end to aerial bunching of high-tension (HT) lines due to the difficulty in attending to glitches. The power utility is expected to approach the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission for permission to take HT lines underground.
