TIWN
-1428237046.jpg&w=567 "Pre-monsoon storm devastates power supply in Tripura: TSECL’s underground power cable line issues at large")
AGARTALA, April 5 (TIWN): An ambitious project to lay underground power cables in Agartala by the Tripura State Electricity Corporation (TSECL) were knocked down across the state recently with heavy thundering storm devastated power supply. The plan has envisaged a two-year period to complete the project in greater municipal area to get rid of overhead power lines, but yet today the people of the state see no solution to the overhead congested power lines. Pre-monsoon thundering squall across the state recently has disrupted the power supply. Life and business has been largely affected due to power cuts enforced for hours recently.Though getting respite from the scorching heat, heavy rains crippled normal life. Within 24 hours of heavy downpour across the state disrupted electricity connections in few areas. Power was disrupted in few areas like Dukli, Badharghat and other places of the capital city and the rural Tripura creating problem for the people. Several electricity posts sideways to the streets have fallen at the main roads cutting the power line at the adjacent areas.
Load shedding in addition to the scheduled power cut has caused severe inconvenience to all sections of the people. There is no disparity between rural and urban areas on record, all the areas go without power for several times in a day due to the pre-monsoon shower and thunder storm.
Storm hit various remote areas grounding several electric pillars. The storm caused huge damage to the electricity transmission line in different areas. Several electric pillars were uprooted after trees fell into transmission line. Electric poles were uprooted in the squalls, affecting the movement of vehicles in the cyclone-affected areas.
Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds since Thursday, triggered landslides in the National Highway 44 that connects Tripura with the rest of the country by road. Many houses, small cars, two-wheelers and road-side shops were damaged when trees got uprooted and fell on them. Meanwhile the Tripura's power department officials said the electricity transmission lines, which imports power from the northeastern grids in Assam were damaged, affecting electricity supply in many parts of the state.
However but the victims to the power cut alleged that the TSECL has got any alternative to the overhead power line yet today while the heavy shower accompanied by heavy thunder storm has been disrupting the normal life of the people with no power has affected their daily livelihoods. They further alleged, “if the state govt. would have move fast in progress with the plan of setting up underground power cable line than common mass across the state and other rural areas would not have been a victim to such a worst condition of power during the monsoon season.”
During the year 2014, TSECL Chairman and Managing Director Shymal Kumar Roy informed that the work has already launched and laying of cable is being completed in 50km stretch in the first phase. He said Rs. 100 crore has been earmarked for the first phase work. But yet today people see no functioning of the power cable line. Officials in the TSECL earlier said the laying work is going on at different locations of the city. Digging of 1.2m height is taking place for placing high intensity and low intensity cables.
Officials and engineers of the TSECL are taking utmost care to avoid damage of underground gas distribution, telephone and water supply lines during the work. The project would require two years to complete to make Agartala first city in northeast India to have the facility.
Tripura's meteorological department director Dilip Saha said, "The seasonal Nor'wester (cyclonic rainstorm) would continue till the onset of monsoon next month. The recurring Nor'wester is now active in entire eastern and northeast India and few other places in the country."
Special Articles
Sanjay Majumder
Anirban Mitra