All the urban areas in Punjab will have underground cables for power supply to ensure wire-free roads and cut down on transmission losses. The project will be executed at a cost of Rs2,000 crore within the next two years. “With a view to conserving energy, Punjab has adopted various technical measures and innovative initiatives that resulted in dropping of considerable peak demand by about 1,000 mega watt (MW) and savings of 1,200 MUs (million units) annually besides ensuring cutting down transmission and distribution (T&D) losses and checking theft of energy,” the government spokesperson said.
He said: “Punjab would also be the first State in the country to have all urban areas with underground power cables network in order to have wire-free roads and uninterrupted power supply.” The Punjab Government has been drawing flak in recent years for power interruptions in all categories — domestic, commercial, industrial and farm sector. However, the government has been claiming that the state will be power surplus soon and will even export power to other states.
Spokesperson said that the state power utility — Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) — has implemented major initiatives to control theft of energy and scaling down T&D losses that included shifting of low voltage distribution system to high voltage distribution system, replacement of ordinary lamps with CFls, addition of capacitors, shifting of meters outside consumers premises, upgradation and strengthening of distribution system, automated meter reading (AMR) facilities etc.
“There is 8.55 per cent increase in 66 KV grids and sub-stations, 21.22 per cent increase in capacity of 66 KV sub-stations, 23.51 per cent increase in the number of distribution transformers, 3.79 per cent increase in the length of distribution lines and 2.69 percent reduction in T&D losses against 4.9 per cent increase in consumers and 4.34 per cent increase in tubewell connections,” said the spokesperson.
Highlighting the initiative of PSPCl for improving the quality of power supply besides reducing losses, spokesperson said that all 12,428 villages of the state have been provided with quality supply on urban pattern. Besides, all deras and dhanis have also been provided with facility of urban pattern supply and rural water works have also been connected with it.