Underground power cables remain a pipedream

Nellore: Underground power cables will only be a pipe dream, as the cables will only be covered conductor lines in vulnerable coastal districts.

It should be recalled that the State government has announced that it would go for underground cabling in coastal areas that were vulnerable to cyclones and other disasters, following power outage after Hudhud cyclone.

According to the initial announcement that underground cabling works will start in Vizag in the first phase and would be extended to other coastal areas A separate power supply line was also planned across 9 coastal districts keeping in view of increasing trend of severe disasters.

Under the project, a separate transmission and distribution system will be built underground at a distance of 5 km from the east coast. This will completely eliminate power supply failures during cyclones and flash floods.

However, there has been no progress in Rs 838 crore project and the power distribution companies are planning to lay overhead covered conductor wire for protection from cyclones and other disasters.

They started laying the conductor in coastal districts in selected pockets. The works were already started in Krishna and Guntur districts and officials were planning to extend for Nellore and Tirupati shortly.

“There has been no significant development in the underground cabling project owing to its viability. So, we have started laying overhead covered conductor wires in coastal areas.

Fatalities will reduce during disasters with the conductor,” said H Y Dora, CMD of Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) told The Hans India.