The Hindu : Kerala News : Unsung heroes of KSEB

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Unsung heroes of KSEB

By Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

KSEB staff inspecting the Kochu Pampa-Sabarimala 11-kv transmission lines in the interior forests of Pathanamthitta. Photo: Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

PATHANAMTHITTA, OCT. 13. They are the unsung heroes of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). A courageous band of staff who ensure uninterrupted power supply to Sabarimala through the thick forest tracts in the eastern part of Pathanamthitta district.

There is no ego clash among the engineers, overseers and workers. They do not care climbing on trees or cutting down the branches that fell on the 12.25-km-long transmission lines to Sabarimala from the 66-kv Kochu Pampa sub-station.

Power disruptions were frequent till the drawing of new lines on steel towers, parallel to the old lines, in 2002, according to the Deputy Chief Engineer, C. Ramachandran.

``We used to wander in the thick forests for days together to find out and rectify the fault whenever a power failure occurred due to short circuit on the line,'' says V.K. Goapalakrishnan Nair, a 54-year-old sub-engineer who has been part of the KSEB task force here for the past 30 years.

The KSEB drew the new 11-kv lines over 66-kv steel towers erected at 58 locations.

``Once, during a night patrol, I stepped on a wild elephant lying in the woods presuming it to be a rock. We took to our heels and took shelter on a tree when the beast chased us,'' recall Mr. Nair and his team members Manoharan Nair, Kumar, Najeeb and Latif.

`We risk our life'

On many occasions, the KSEB workers had to spend days and nights in the deep forests, braving the heavy downpour and chilling cold, to rectify faults.

``When there is disruption of power supply at Sabarimala, everyone, including the media, criticises the laxity of the Board staff in clearing the undergrowth. Here in the forests we risk our life while discharging our duty. How many people try to understand our plight,'' they ask.

Mr. Nair says that felling of trees has been permitted only around the 7.5-metre radius of the 11-kv transmission lines and there are giant trees with more than 100 metres height standing on the outer boundaries at many places along the zigzag `A' Point-Triveni stretch of the forest tract.

The KSEB remitted Rs.45 lakhs to the Forest Department in 2001 towards the compensation for felling 1,422 trees on either side of the 11-kv line.

According to the Deputy Chief Engineer, this time, the KSEB has already cleared the undergrowth much in advance in view of the Sabarimala pilgrim season.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section