GUWAHATI, June 22 - Monitoring of overhead power lines and training of Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) employees to maintain these lines are crucial to avoid electricity-related accidents like electrocution, according to power experts here.
Talking to this newspaper, experts said that behind the latest incidents of electrocution � that claimed two human lives in the city on June 13 and one today � it is believed that there was slackness in matters of maintenance and monitoring of the overhead power lines.
Nowadays, the APDCL is outsourcing the maintenance as well as construction of these power lines and this is leading to the engagement of unskilled labourers by the contractors on a daily wage basis. This results in deficiencies in the construction of these lines.
It is not known as to what has happened to the system developed some time back to train up the APDCL workers for the purpose, the experts said.
Regarding the elongated overhead power lines, experts pointed to the fact that elongation of the overhead electric wires is connected with the flow or load of electric current. Elongation or sagging is a common phenomenon. Measures like proper sagging calculation while drawing the power lines are needed to keep their elongation under control. When wires get elongated, some spacers are also to be tied between the wires so that short-circuits can be avoided.
Moreover, guard wires are to be provided in vulnerable areas as per norms.
Again, to avoid short-circuit-related accidents, the electrical fuses used in the distribution transformers for the low tension feeders should also be of rated capacity. Nowadays it is seen that these fuses are not properly fitted and ad-hoc arrangements are made in this respect. This has been leading to short-circuit-related accidents.
It is regrettable that the project for laying underground cables for power supply in the city, which was started in the Fancy Bazar area in the 1990s and for execution of which one division was also created, was virtually abandoned long since.
Under such a situation, it has become mandatory for the authorities concerned to remove the deficiencies in maintenance and to introduce a robust monitoring system with regard to the overhead power lines.
Aerial bunch cables may be used to replace the overhead power lines in the city. This will facilitate avenue plantation to make the city green. This cable drawing system will also help interruption-free power supply.
On top of all these, the transformers as well as the main switches meant for the fuse protection of the lower tension feeders are to be installed on elevated platforms much above the respective high flood levels of the city areas. Such an arrangement may help avoid accidents as well as in continuation of power supply in the city areas during the floods, said the experts.
