Poor maintenance prime cause of power blues

RESENTMENT AND anger are aggravated when consumers realise that much of the local power blues were because of poor maintenance. If the local faults are envisaged and dealt with probably much of the power pricks could be minimised.

RESENTMENT AND anger are aggravated when consumers realise that much of the local power blues were because of poor maintenance. If the local faults are envisaged and dealt with probably much of the power pricks could be minimised.

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The city is plagued with local faults due to the overburdening of transformers, worn-out transmission lines and use of poor quality material and bad planning.

The department is just not bothered as long as the worn out wires were carrying electricity even if they were dangling to the ground because of load. At places they have not been changed for the past 50 years.

Sources said, though a number of transformers were replaced recently but non-strengthening of the infrastructure at the receiving and distribution points have been causing power snags to arise time and again. When the fault arises the only way the line man can locate it is to go around with a dim torch. This primitive system needs modernisation but the department has hardly paid attention to it.

For example, if there is any underground cable disruption the department has to rely on a private party to get a fault locater from outside the city. Old transformers, which are partly repaired and freshly painted to make them look like new, are replacing the conked out ones. A consumer from Rajapur told HT Allahabad Live on Friday evening that there was no electricity in Unchwagadhi, part of Rajapur and Stanley road since Thursday night. The cause for this was some snag in the transformer at Mulla Ka Hata which had been replaced just a week ago. No wonder with such state of affairs it seems power ills will become a part and parcel of the lives of the citizens. GM UPPCL could not be contacted despite efforts.