In pursuit of its plan to eliminate outages and enhance network efficiency, the Kerala State Electricity Board has embarked on a geographical mapping project of its distribution network and successfully completed its first phase.
Board sources told The Hindu here that its staff members have completed geographical mapping of its 11 kV network spanning 60,000 km and located 14 lakh electric poles across the State without incurring any cost to the board.
The second phase of mapping the micro-level low-tension network, which is almost five times larger than the 11 kV network and distributes power to domestic consumers, would be initiated soon. Sketching the low tension network is even more challenging and complicated and demands more time and effort. The staff members would have to fan out to every nook and corner to mop up the minute details.
The project has been executed with the cooperation of a non-profit organisation, International Centre for Free and Open Source Software, the sources said.
Two years ago the board had prepared a similar project at an estimated cost of ₹200 crore, but was shelved for various reasons. Now it is being completed without causing any financial commitment to the board.
Instant trouble shooting at the grassroots is one of the prime advantages of the project from a consumer’s point of view. On getting a complete sketch of the entire distribution network, the board would be able to rectify power failures without any time lag.
The new map provides detailed information regarding each electric pole, transformer and other power installations. On reporting a power failure, the technical staff would be able to track the specific zone using fault detectors and clear the snag instantly. This is perhaps the preliminary step towards enhancing the quality of power distribution in the State, the sources said.
Lack of precise data was one aspect that seriously impaired the network development and expansion plans of the board over the years.
Hereafter, identifying shortcomings, strengthening the existing infrastructure and expanding it would be much easier and cost-effective, sources said.
