Madras High Court gets uninterrupted power supply through complex grid infrastructure arrangement

Advocate General P.S. Vijay Narayan has told the Madras High Court that elaborate infrastructure arrangements by Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL), routing electricity from multiple grid sources including the Basin Bridge gas turbine and Seven Wells sub-station, ensure zero power cuts on the court premises.

The A-G made the submission before the First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan while opposing a public interest litigation that demanded the return of approximately 15 grounds of land allotted to TNPDCL in 1990 for the 110/33/11 KV Esplanade sub-station.

High Court's expanding power needs

The court complex currently draws a sanctioned load of 5,500 KVA, with the Registry seeking an additional 2,500 KVA for ongoing construction and renovation work. Despite these requirements, "the High Court does not suffer power disruption even for a minute," Vijay Narayan told the Bench.

The PIL filed by advocate M.T. Arunan had argued that TNPDCL constructed buildings on only one-third of the allotted land, leaving the rest open to the sky, and was misusing the property for collecting electricity bills from consumers in nearby Mannadi and Muthialpet localities. He sought the land's return to create additional court halls, vehicle parking, and public amenities, citing severe parking shortages faced by lawyers and litigants.

Safety clearances and critical services

Countering the plea, the A-G explained that open spaces between transformers are mandatory safety clearances necessary to accommodate heavy cranes and trucks during maintenance or equipment replacement. He emphasized that the Esplanade sub-station powers not just the High Court but also critical institutions including Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai Port Trust, and Southern Railway.

The Bench acknowledged the judiciary's expanding infrastructure needs but ruled that "public utility services like power distribution infrastructure cannot be disrupted without technical feasibility". Removing or shifting the sub-station would be "technically unviable and would endanger the power supply to the High Court and surrounding essential emergency services like hospitals," the judges wrote.

Observing that land allocation and urban planning between government departments are policy matters, the court declined to issue a writ of mandamus to relocate critical power infrastructure managed for utility services. "The true spirit of public interest lies in maintaining uninterrupted power supply to both the judiciary and key public facilities," the Bench said while dismissing the petition.

Source: The Hindu