NT NETWORK
PANAJI
In order to resolve the issue of frequent power supply failure in remote areas, especially, in forest areas due to the falling of trees on main lines, during monsoon season, the government will be taking up the work of installing aerial bunched cables, where underground cabling is not possible due to the lack of land.
The power department will take up the work on aerial bunched cabling on a pilot basis from July 15 in one each constituency in North and South Goa.
Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar, on Monday, told this daily that the work on aerial bunched cabling will start in Bicholim in North and Curchorem in South Goa from July 15 on a pilot basis, and added that if the project becomes a success the government will take up such works in other parts of the state.
“Under the pilot project, we have decided to take up the work of aerial bunched cabling in two constituencies which will cover 1000 kilometres of 11 KV line of power supply. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 156 crore,” the Minister said.
The power department will replace 20,000 poles under the project in both Bicholim and Curchorem constituencies.
Transformers and feeders could be replaced wherever needed.
Madkaikar said that especially during the monsoon, incidents of falling of trees on the main lines take place, due to which power supply in village areas gets disrupted, and added that it is difficult to take up the work of underground cabling in forest areas due to lack of land even though the government has taken up such works in many parts basically in urban and coastal areas.
“Power supply lines have become very old, and the work of replacing these lines has been already started in many part of the state with underground cabling. However, we are facing difficulties in remote areas where there is no land available for underground cabling. Hence the government has decided to replace old lines with aerial bunched cabling in remote areas,” he added.