Transformer damage rate on the rise in State, city

THE TRANSFORMER damage rate is on the rise in most cities of the state, including its capital, Lucknow. This is happening despite the fact that the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) is executing all modernisation plans.

THE TRANSFORMER damage rate is on the rise in most cities of the state, including its capital, Lucknow. This is happening despite the fact that the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) is executing all modernisation plans.

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Out of 3,70,363 transformers, 75,661 were damaged till March this year. Thus, the damage rate is as high as 20.43 per cent. Statistics show that the damage rate is the highest in Agra discom (28.31 per cent), followed by Lucknow discom (20.58 per cent), Meerut discom (20.24 per cent) and Varanasi discom ( 18.10 per cent). The damage rate in Meerut and Lucknow discoms went up this year, and there was only marginal improvement in Agra and Varanasi discom.

In LESA, the transformer damage rate is over 28 per cent which is very high given the fact that Rs 400-crore World Bank project to overhaul the distribution system was implemented in the State Capital.

Sources said that failure to maintain optimum oil level in the transformers was one of the major reasons for damage. “Around 75 per cent of transformers are damaged due to lack of oil,” said a senior PCL official. The oil level decreased due to its leakage and pilferage, he added. PCL MD Avnish Awasthi issued orders to various workshops to check that the transformers, containing less than 60 per cent of oil, should not be brought to workshops for repair. The order said that in case the transformers contained less than 60 per cent of oil, the officers concerned would be responsible to conduct a probe. The orders were issued on the recommendations of a committee last month.

The decision to set up the committee to look into the causes of transformer damage was taken at a meeting of the Public Undertaking Committee in June last year.