In the New Year, there would be no tangled mess of power supply wires which not only disturbs the city’s aesthetics but also hampers the movement of pedestrians and vehicles. The reason behind it is that to address this issue, stronger aerial bunch cables (ABCs) will be laid in place of these old wires. The project will not only help in checking power theft but also improve power supply of the city. Zahid Aziz Khan, General Manager of City Circle of Power Discom, said that 407-km outdated cables will be replaced at a cost of Rs 72 crore, thereby eliminating the need for wires hanging from poles and trees.

 

The short line laid for electricity reaching homes in the city is 1,400 circuit km long. In the last 10 years, old power lines in the new and old cities were replaced under the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) projects. Now this work will be done under the Revamped Reforms Distribution Scheme (RRDS) of the Central Government. This new cable will not be laid in areas where underground cables are being laid to prevent electricity theft. The problem of dangling web of electric wires is most common in many areas of the old city including Ibrahimpura, Lakherapura, Chowk Bazaar, Qazi Camp, Arif Nagar as well as in MP Nagar Zone 1 and Zone 2 in the new city. Many traders of Ibrahimpura and Lakherapura, the most prominent markets of the old city, have complained to the electricity company officials and the district administration officials to clean the wires.

 

According to experts, where the power supply wires are still open, there is more direct electricity theft from them. There has not been even a 10% reduction in electricity theft figures in the old city in the last 10 years. When the wind blows strongly during rainy season, the old wires collide with each other resulting in faults. If a fault is bigger than this, it takes a lot of time to repair it. Due to this, there is power failure in the areas connected to this line. AB cable is two-and-a half times more expensive than plain old wires but cent percent efficient to curb power theft.