KOCHI: The timely arrival of the monsoon is a hurdle in KSEB’s plans to speed up its work on the already lagging Rs 80-crore power automation project aimed at keeping prolonged power outages at bay.This has worried the KSEB workers as the power outages in the city are expected to go up due to falling of tree trunks on power cables and transformers.The workers expressed concern over staff shortage and increasing number of power failure complaints due to rain. The City Automation Project (Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Project) was introduced to find a permanent solution to the problem. The project was taken up in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode in late 2007 with the plan to complete it in October 2009. The project has already been commissioned in other two cities while people of the commercial capital are eagerly looking forward to enjoying its benefits.After constantly facing ‘non-cooperation’ from police, the Corporation, water authority, highways department, residents associations, PWD and others, District Collector P I Sheikh Pareeth convened a meeting of various departments to find better understanding and speed up the project. After a consensus was evolved in the meeting, the KSEB started the work with full vigour when the rain god intervened.The work was going in full speed in various places. Now that the rain has started it is difficult to predict how much work would be completed by June when IRCON would be helping the board implement the project, Sudha Devi G, Chief Engineer (Distribution) said. Digging of roads for laying of underground cables would become difficult due to the showers, she said.The remaining work would be completed by the KSEB, she said. About 25 percent of the work is yet to be done which includes installation of 15 Ring main units (Transformers) laying of 60-km cables.The project involves laying of 200-km of 11 KV cables and installing 232 Ring Main Units. At present the main work is going on in Mattancherry, she said.Simultaneously, the board is engaged in charging lines where the work has been completed.The KSEB has been able to charge only 40 km of the project. But the benefit of this is yet to reach the consumer as the network has not become fully functional, KSEB sources said.The KSEB has made provisions for upgrading the system to Restructures Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Project (RAPDRP) which would make it easier for the service provider to isolate a faulty section and restore power in a particular areas, the sources said.When asked when the RAPDRP would be incorporated, the KSEB had no answer. The board does not have a clear time table for completing the remaining work of the project.
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