MARGAO
Take note, the power situation at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate isn't going to improve overnight or in the immediate future. Industrial units at the Estate may have to contend with the power outages or breakdowns for months if not years as it may take a long time for the Power department to put the required infrastructure in place, including underground cabling.
Rough estimates worked out by the Power department has revealed that it may cost nothing less than Rs 20 crore to improve the power scenario at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate and outside, including the ambitious proposal to convert overhead HT and LT lines to underground cabling.
A senior power official told The Goan that the HT & LT overhead network at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate has deteriorated due to heavy pollution and increasing power demand. He was frank in admitting that the department is not able to provide reliable power supply to the HT & LT consumers at the industrial estate. "The overhead LT conductors have all deteriorated and corroded due to pollution at the industrial estate. The 33 KV HT line has been put underground and the problem now lies with the 11KV overhead LT line consumers," the officials remarked.
He added: "The increasing demand for power during the fishing season, when the ice plants and the food processing units run to its optimum capacity, has also affected the power supply scenario to the industrial estate."
Questions are being raised in the corridors of the Power department whether officials had over the years mooted conversion of HT & LT network to underground cabling. And, whether the proposal had hit the block due to bureaucratic red tape.
Inquiries by The Goan revealed that conversion of the HT & LT network was proposed under the IPDS, RAPDRP, Part-B scheme, but came a cropper. With the IPDS scheme no longer in existence, questions are being raised as to why the power officials in the past did not take up the ambitious project departmentally. It was only recently, sources said that power officials have prepared estimates for the underground cabling project, now pegged at a whopping Rs 12.73 crore.
"The project estimates have now gone to the superintending engineer for administrative approval. Only the Chief Engineer and other senior officials may know the fate of the project," remarked an official in the know.
