The Noida power department has decided to lay down underground cables — a long pending demand from residents who face frequent outages due to overhead cable breakages during thundershowers or mild wind speed.
Even as Greater Noida has underground power cables, Noida has begun implementing the same since last year. While the department has laid 11kV cables underground across 282 locations across the city, the 33kV cables have been laid underground in about 196 locations across five divisions of the Noida power department so far.
Some of the sectors where cables have been laid underground, include sectors 63, 7, 8, 18, 19, 29, 120, 108, 132, 25, 56, 47 and more. Also, about 313 additional (duplicate) cables have been laid parallel to these underground cabling. But it’s a far cry from making Noida’s cable system underground as most such cables are not yet connected to the power supply or are in the process of being connected.
"There are 7 divisions of power department in GB Nagar under which various sectors of Noida are demarcated. Laying of underground cables has been carried out across the city under these divisions. While in some places work is done, at other places work is underway. So far, 282 cables of 11Kv and 196 cables of 33Kv have been laid underground across the city," said VN Singh, chief zonal engineer Noida power department, which comes under Paschimanchal Vidyut Viteran Nigam Limited (PVVNL).
Even as division 1 caters to sectors 6, 3, 7, 8, 120 and more division 2 to sectors 80, 88, 129, 150, 82, 38, 29, division 3 caters to sectors 18, 19, 44, 45, 124, 168, 166, 137, 142, division 5 - sectors 25, 56, 58, 108, 132, 46, 47, 20 and division 7 - sectors 60, 61, 62, 52, 59 and more.
Across these sectors both 33Kv and 11Kv cables have been laid underground "We have also laid additional duplicate cables parallel to the ones laid underground to act as spare cables to be used in times of wear and tear," said Singh.
However, residents feel that the work is only partially done as many areas across Noida largely deal with overhead dangling cables still. "Underground cables in Sector 18 though laid recently, are yet to be given connection. Redevelopment of sector 18 began in 2012-13. It was supposed to be completed in two years' time frame by 2014 but even after six-year, only 60% of work is done. Because of the delay in the redevelopment work, the underground cabling work has also delayed and we are not sure by when the connection will be given to the cables that are laid underground so far. As of now overhead temporary cables exist and we continue to get supply from them despite new cables being laid underground," said SK Jain, president sector 18 market association.
Jain added that while underground cabling work was finished in blocks G 1, 2 and F, in the market ducts are still left to be attached to the made feeder pillar and work related to connecting them to the transformer room is still pending. "Why can’t the transformer room near Tikona Park be made operational in parts?" questioned Jain.
Even though the power department maintains as the work is underway they were unable to give clear data on where and by when Noida’s cabling could go underground. "We are still working on the work which is in progress," said Singh.
