GESCOM Proposes Underground Power Cables Along 17 Major Kalaburagi Roads

Plan to take power cables underground in bid to give cleaner look to streets in Kalaburagi

GESCOM has prepared a proposal to replace overhead electricity lines with an underground cable network along 17 major road stretches covering approximately 49.4 route kilometres in Kalaburagi city.

The proposal will be placed before the GESCOM Board of Directors for approval, with funding proposed through a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

GESCOM Chairperson Praveen Patil Harwal said the plan is intended to improve public safety, enhance the city’s appearance, reduce power disruption and support road widening in the future by removing overhead electrical infrastructure.

Five zones for phased implementation

The project has been divided into five zones to facilitate phased implementation.

It envisages the installation of approximately 279 km of high-tension (HT) underground cables and 121 km of low-tension (LT) cables.

The proposed network would cover important roads and junctions across Kalaburagi, Mr. Harwal told The Hindu.

The identified stretches include Hirapur Circle, MSK Mill, Rashtrapati Circle, Timmapur Circle; New Jewargi Road, Kothari Bhavan, Ram Mandir Circle; and Annapurna Cross, Jagat Circle.

The other identified stretches are Old RTO Cross, Shahabad Ring Road, Ken Bridge School; Jagat Circle, STBT, National Chowk, Nagareshwar School; and VTU Regional Centre to Kusnoor village.

The list also includes Kapnoor Industrial Area, Kalaburagi Railway Station, Aiwan-e-Shahi and Shahabazar.

Grouping the routes into five zones would allow the work to be taken up in phases rather than across all the identified stretches at once.

Existing 11-kV lines to be moved underground

Under the technical plan, the existing overhead 11-kV distribution lines would be converted into an underground cable network.

The work would involve excavating trenches, installing protective ducts and cable chambers, laying the cables, and restoring the affected roads and footpaths.

The proposal also includes modern electrical switching and protection equipment, including Ring Main Units and remote monitoring systems.

Mr. Harwal said these additions would improve the management of the distribution network.

Necessary modifications would also be made to distribution transformer centres, low-tension feeder systems and consumer connections.

The project proposal provides for work to be carried out zone by zone, beginning with detailed surveys and the mapping of existing utilities.

A Detailed Project Report would then be prepared before the civil and electrical work begins.

The later stages would include testing and commissioning, followed by the transfer of consumer connections to the underground network.

Existing overhead poles, conductors and associated fittings would be removed after the underground system is commissioned.

Proposal discussed with Priyank Kharge

Minister for Home, Information Technology and Biotechnology, and e-Governance, and Kalaburagi district in-charge Priyank Kharge held a meeting with Mr. Harwal and other senior officers of GESCOM in his office in Bengaluru recently to discuss the project’s design and feasibility.

Mr. Kharge said, “It is a significant step towards modernising Kalaburagi’s infrastructure and creating a safer urban environment with improved electricity distribution and smoother traffic movement.”

He said the underground power network is expected to help organise electricity distribution infrastructure more efficiently and provide modern facilities in line with Kalaburagi’s growing urban requirements.

“It will minimise maintenance requirements and tree-trimming costs, reduce risks associated with exposed overhead wires, and improve the reliability of electricity distribution,” Mr. Kharge said on October 29.

Mr. Harwal said the project would help modernise Kalaburagi’s power distribution infrastructure in line with the city’s growth.

The proposal, however, is subject to approval by the GESCOM Board of Directors.

Varanasi cited as an example

The proposal cites the 2017 initiative in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh as an example of taking power cables underground.

Varanasi completed one of the biggest initiatives in India to move power cables underground, replacing overhead infrastructure with an underground power cable network in a 16-sq-km area.

The area included congested lanes in residential localities and markets.

The initiative gave the pilgrim centre a cleaner look, while power distribution loss came down from over 40% to less than 10%.

Power connections also increased, contributing to the revenue of the service provider.

GESCOM’s proposed work in Kalaburagi is similarly presented as an infrastructure upgrade that could improve the appearance and safety of major roads while changing how electricity is distributed along the identified stretches.

Source: The Hindu