The Hindu : New Delhi News : Residents spared of power cuts

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Saturday, Aug 16, 2008
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New Delhi

Residents spared of power cuts

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Ban on use of metal-reinforced strings for kite flying leads to
fewer trippings

NEW DELHI: As India celebrated Independence Day on Friday, hundreds of households in the Capital were spared their annual tryst with power cuts. Taking a cue from Pakistan where kite flying has been clamped down upon, the Delhi Government too has got cracking against the age old sport.

The result is a significant reduction in power cuts caused by tripping of lines when they come in contact with metal coated reinforced strings used for flying kites.

Taking cognisance of the power trippings caused by the use of reinforced strings, the Government with the assistance of the Delhi police had ordered prohibition on kite flying, especially in areas with high density of over head lines.

And with fewer trippings this year compared with previous years, the Government’s power department is giving itself a pat on its back for suggesting the ban on kite flying.

“It had become a major concern for the department. Every year during Independence Day a number of power cuts are caused by kite flying. This year we decided to rope in the police and suggested a ban on use of metal-reinforced strings. And the result has been encouraging,” said S.R. Sethi, Director (Operations) of the Delhi Transco Limited.

While August 15, 2006, saw 150 outages on a single day owing to kite flying, the figure fell to 130 in 2007. “This year the data that we received till 5 p.m. suggests that the people of Delhi have realised that they too have a responsibility towards each other. The number of outages this year has been less than 100,” said Mr. Sethi.

Though the department had urged people to steer clear of metal coated strings and from flying kites near overhead wires, for its part it had also islanded the generating units in the city. “Last year one of the generating units was damaged because of the short circuit caused on the line. This year we took precautions and islanded our units from those lines that are prone to short circuits,” explained Mr. Sethi. “We have also decided to cut power in those areas from where more than two trippings are reported.”

Power distribution companies BSES and NDPL too had put their breakdown vans and emergency vans with additional manpower on high alert. “One tripping affects a large section of people, to ensure there is minimal disturbance we have 109 breakdown vans on the job,” said a BSES official.

Among the areas that bore the brunt of kite flying induced power cuts were Preet Vihar, Shakarpur, Shahdara, Vivek Vihar, GT Road, Azadpur, Hudson Lane, Malviya Nagar, Pankha Road, Sarai Julena and Mukherjee Park.

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