MAPUSA
The State government is expected to give a major push to two major works entailing around Rs 330 crore to tide over the power woes in Bardez.
A new Extra High Voltage (EHV) substation in Saligao is to be tendered within the next four months while the work order for the underground power cabling project for Mapusa is to be out within a month.
The work to convert the high tension (HT) power line from overhead to underground cabling for Mapusa and surrounding areas was estimated to cost Rs 131.83 crore and even tendered.
The underground cabling of high tension lines is expected to resolve most of the power issues facing the key town in Bardez.
“Work on the underground cabling in Mapusa has already been tendered. Anytime work order can be placed. All credit goes to the power minister who took personal interest to execute the work,” said Superintending Engineer, North Goa, Stephen Fernandes.
The work entails digging up the roads, which is expected to cause a lot of inconvenience to the motorists and local residents. Not long ago, Mapusa residents had to go through a harrowing time when most of the roads were dug up to lay the underground sewerage pipeline.
“We will try to minimize breaking of the roads as attempts will be made to try to put the cables on road shoulders but at some places, we will have to dig up the roads,” the SE said.
The electricity department is also giving top priority to speed up the work of setting up of the extra high voltage substation in Saligao which will be on par with the Tivim substation.
The project got delayed because the department wanted to set up the substation by using the latest technology with digitalisation.
“We will use the new and best technology in the world. We also want to increase the transformer capacity so that it will last for the next 35 to 40 years. The Saligao substation will resolve almost 99 per cent of power problems in North Goa,” Fernandes said.
He said the work of the project is expected to be tendered in the next four months.
The SE agreed that the Tivim substation was over-loaded and there was no scope to carry out the further expansion.
“Once the Saligao substation comes up, 60 per cent of the load will be removed from the Tivim substation. Then we can carry out the upgradation of the Tivim substation,” he said.
The Saligao substation is estimated to cost around Rs 150 to Rs 200 crore.
