E-Paper
Cable theft at 66KV grid: 50k Kharar resident sans power for 14 hours
Despite a single linear source of power at the 66 KV Bhabat gird of Zirakpur resulting in a 50-hour power cut in June this year, PSPCL has failed to take any corrective action, leaving residents in the lurch. As per the record, there is no backup source for both 66 kV grids in Kharar sub division. A backup source means that when one supply line fails, an alternate source feeds the substation to avoid power disruption.
As many 50,000 residents of Kharar were without power from 3 pm on Tuesday to 5 am on Wednesday, due to cable theft at the 66 KV grid in Gillco Valley. This affected the 66 KV Gillco and 66 KV Ansal grids, officials said.
Kharar sub-division comes under the Ropar circle of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
Despite a single linear source of power at the 66 KV Bhabat gird of Zirakpur resulting in a 50-hour power cut in June this year, PSPCL has failed to take any corrective action, leaving residents in the lurch.
As per the record, there is no backup source for both 66 kV grids in Kharar sub division. A backup source means that when one supply line fails, an alternate source feeds the substation to avoid power disruption.
The area is part of Mohali master plan of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), under which an underground electrical system has been envisaged.
Also, the 220 KV kharar sub-station and 66 KV Gillco substation are overloaded, resulting in rotational power cuts.
Executive engineer of Kharar division, Aman Gupta, said, “They was an attempt to sabotage the supply by stealing the underground cables and our men were working all night to restore power supply.”
Satwinder Singh Sehmbi, superintending engineer of Ropar, said, “We have proposed a new 20 mega volt ampere (MVA) transformer at Gillco to reduce load on the existing sub stations and it will be installed before next summers.”
Kamaldeep Singh Tiwana, a resident of Kharar said, “Despite repeated reminders to officials concerned to upgrade basic infrastructure, they have not come up with a backup power source . It was a harrowing night for residents amid the sultry weather. Kharar is worst effected during summers every year.”
