Underground power cables can check power failures: Experts

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 16

Experts say that underground power cables can save the capital city of Shimla and tourist towns of Dalhousie and Manali from frequent breakdowns of electricity and water supplies that bring miseries to residents and tourists every year.

This is a best option to provide 24x7 power and water supply to residents checking frequent breakdowns of transmission and water lifting system.

The snapped power lines not only plunge the capital city into darkness, but also the entire city of 2 lakh population cry for water. The pumping of water from Giri, Guma, Koti- Barandi, Ashwani Khaud and Chair, backbone of water supply, depends on availability of high voltage power supply at pumping stations.

“The best possible and reliable solution to repetitive breakdowns of the electricity supply system in Shimla and other high snowbound hill towns are the underground power cables laid down in ducts,” said Dr Raj Purohit, an associate professor at the School of Computer and Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi. Though these are costlier, but its advantages are many as it provides a reliable solution and faults, if any, can be repaired without hassles, he added.

Dr Purohit said the power cables for even high voltage 750 KV lines are available. Second, the gas insulated cables can be tried as has been done for the 126 MW Larji sub-station. It needs maintenance, but sub-stations can be saved from breakdowns, he added.

HP state electricity board ltd (HPSEBL) has laid about 50 km length of 11 KV cables underground in the city that emerged as a saviour to restore power supply to Indira Gandhi medical college and hospital. The city had plunged into darkness for six days all overhead lines were snapped by a recent heavy spell of snowfall.

The fact that 132 KV line is available at Tuttu in periphery of Shimla city, the 66 KV and 33 KV overhead lines can be put underground in power cables to avoid breakdown during natural disaster, said Harinder Thakur, a former, member technical, HPSEBL. In the forest areas in the city or Chopal, Manali, the high transmission towers above the tree canopy can be erected to avoid snapping of power lines, he added.

Thakur said a 132 KV line is available at Katrain and it can be used to provide a sustained power supply to tourist town of Manali, where power transmission and distribution system is nothing better than that of a village that breaks down during rains and snowfall every year. The fund for underground cables should come from green tax in Manali, he added.

Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan said that they had suggested to lay down the ducts under the Shimla beatification project, but the tourism department did not bother. “We will recommend under smart city mission that underground power cables be laid for a reliable water and electricity supply in the city”, he added.