With a disproportionate demand to supply ratio and a skewed distribution system, the power situation in Bardez is far from satisfactory.
The coastal constituencies of Calangute and Siolim, besides Mapusa, have had to face constant complaints of erratic supply and power cuts.
While the problem of power failure exists throughout the year, the situation turns nightmarish during the summer when there is more load on the supply.
Residents complain that power failure due to faults in transmission lines or transformers take hours to be rectified, especially when the power fails during the night.
CALANGUTE
For the last several years, the coastal villages of Calangute and Candolim have had the worst of the power outages. Intermittent power supply has kept locals on the edge as the department is found struggling to keep pace with the demand in the touristic village.
As the number of hotels and guest houses keep rising in the two key coastal villages, the demand for power also goes up putting a huge pressure on the power infrastructure.
For the moment, Calangute draws supply from Saligao and Candolim sub-stations while a new 33/11 KV gas insulated sub-station (2x20 MVA) has now been set up at Arradi, Calangute.
The new sub-station costing around Rs 25 crore is complete and is expected to be inaugurated very soon.
The department engineers do not want to hazard a guess on the requirement of power in Calangute as it depends on the tourist season.
“For the moment, there is no power problem in Calangute. The situation in the coastal village depends on the season and the tourist flow,” said Pradip Narvekar, Executive Engineer at Mapusa Electricity Department.
Senior engineers informed that power problem in Calangute and the entire Bardez will improve considerably only when the Saligao sub-station is upgraded to a 220/33 KVA sub-station.
“The entire project to upgrade the Saligao sub-station will cost around Rs 300 crore. The government is keen to take up work on the project which will take at least two years to complete,” a senior engineer in the department informed.
SIOLIM
Similar, power-related issue also affects the coastal Siolim.
Just two weeks back, some wards in Siolim-Marna went without power for nearly 48 hours due to a fault in power line even as the department officials were found struggling to locate the fault.
Sources in the electricity department informed that the problem in Siolim will be resolved when a new sub-station is erected at Baddem, Assagao, which has already been proposed some years back.
Recently, the department has taken up work for underground cabling of the 33 KVA line in Siolim-Marna.
“Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo is aware of the power needs and expected to push for the Baddem sub-station. We expect the work to get the nod sooner than later,” a panchayat member informed.
MAPUSA
Time and again, Mapusa has witnessed power failures and power cuts much to the annoyance of local residents. The ageing infra and inconsistent distribution system has been the main problem for the power woes in town.
The main issue was the overhead 33/11 KVA high tension lines which brings supply to the town from the Tivim power house.
But the problem is expected to be resolved very soon as the electricity department has taken up work of the underground cabling of high-tension lines.
The Rs 116 crore underground cabling work has commenced around five months back and is ongoing.
The Mapusa sub-station has five transformers but only four are functioning at the present. The total capacity of four transformers is around 34 MVA.
Recently, two more transformers of 10 MVA each has been set up at Karrasvaddo, Mapusa. According to department engineers, Mapusa requires around 25 MVA.
“We are well placed in Mapusa for the moment. And once the underground cabling project is completed, Mapusa will have no power interruption whatsoever,” said Narvekar, EE, Mapusa Electricity Department.
