Rising DT damage ‘worrying sign’: CE KPDCL

Srinagar, Dec 08: Chief Engineer, Distribution, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Er. Aaquib S. Waheed Deva today expressed serious concern over reports of rising damage to DT substations, due to unauthorised excess load of crude heating gadgets, which is over and above their installed capacity.

In a press statement issued here today, the Chief Engineer referred to the incidents reported from Bon Dialgam in Electric Division Anantnag and Tulmulla in Electric Division Ganderbal where DT substations were completely damaged after being subjected to unsanctioned heating load. “We are catering to the challenge of repairing and restoring 50 DTs per day and our Central Workshop at Pampore and Divisional Workshops are working round-the-clock to keep pace and adhere to the stipulated timelines of replacement,” she said, while urging consumers to avoid overloading their DTs in peak winters and inviting power outages.

She assured the consumers of reliable power supply as per curtailment schedule if they use power judiciously. “We have COPD patients at home and students preparing for examinations. We hope consumers understand the hardships people face when DTs are damaged leading to prolonged hours of power cuts,” she said.

In the last 04 days alone, as many as 192 DTs were reported damaged with some going up in flames, threatening the property of the nearby residents and damage to costly electronic gadgets at home. KPDCL also replaced 192 DTs in the same period.

In an attempt to protect DTs from getting damaged, Inspection Squads across all 19 Electric Divisions are carrying out daily morning and night patrolling to prevent attempts by certain consumers to use power beyond their sanctioned load.

KPDCL carried out 884 inspections drives on Saturday alone to prevent power pilferage with O&M Circle Pulwama leading with 242 drives. O&M Circle II Srinagar carried out 160 and O&M Circle Ganderbal 159 drives.

Er. Aaquib Waheed Deva also warned consumers living in metered areas of strict action if they are found bypassing their meters and hooking on bare conductor, in gross violation of the Electricity Act. “Apart from Circle Squads, Central Inspection Squad is also carrying out inspections to catch those consumers who use power unauthorizedly by tampering or bypassing their meters,” she added.