Karnataka - Madikeri   

Power supply hit in Kodagu

Madikeri: Power supply in Kodagu has been severely hit over the past month because, in addition to load shedding, the rains have caused blackouts in many parts.

The load shedding is a result of work on the new 66-kV power line between Ponnampet and Virajpet.

The power supply is switched off from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Madikeri, Murnad, Virajpet, Siddapur and Sunticoppa sub-centres, Mr. Venugopal, Executive Engineer, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC), told The Hindu.

Power cuts are largely the result of trees and branches falling on power lines and sometimes due to pin-puncture in the insulators. This defect is difficult to locate, said Umesh, Assistant Executive Engineer, CESC, Madikeri. Irked by the frequent power disruptions, the Cauvery Sene, questioned CESC officials on Friday.

Mr. Venugopal agreed to convene a meeting of all CESC officials and the public on June 20 to sort out the crisis.

“It will take another 40 days to complete work on the 66-kV line,” said Kushalappa, Executive Engineer, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. If the work was not completed by then, the existing 33-kV power line would be used to provide uninterrupted power supply to Virajpet, Siddapur and Murnad.

On the delay in completing work on the Ponnampet-Virajpet 66-kV line, Mr. Kushalappa said that it could not be taken up in summer because it was the coffee flowering season, and the power line passed through many plantations.

Then came the examinations followed by the elections.

Work finally began on May 22. The monsoon would aggravate the problems, he said. Stringing of the lines would start in a couple of days, he said.

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