New device plugs power outages due to small animals, birds

Hyderabad: In order to avoid power outages caused by animals and birds, the electricity department has decided to replace metal clamps with specially designed Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) silicon clamps on all the lines under its jurisdiction.

SPDCL Chairman and Managing Director Musharraf Ali Faruqui said that reptiles like lizards, lguana, squirrels and other small animals like cats and birds often get electrocuted and die when they come into contact with live wire (metal clamp) point and earth (metal clamp) point on the horn gap fuse insulator sets at transformers, breakers and limbs causing tripping of feeders, leading to power supply disruptions.

“Nearly 14 percent of tripping takes place due to short circuits caused by reptiles, animals and birds,” he said. To avoid power outages and to save the reptiles and other animals from being electrocuted, the current metal clamps used in HG fuse sets, breakers and limbs at various electrical equipment, would be replaced with FRP silicon clamps, he said, adding that these clamps were non-conductive, so even if reptiles come into contact with them, they would not be electrocuted. Initially, around 3,000 FRP silicon clamps would be installed in areas with high tree density and reptile population, Musharraf said this small change is expected to benefit reptiles and reduce power supply disruptions.