VIJAYAWADA: The underground power infrastructure development planned for Amaravati has gained momentum as Amaravati Development Corporation Ltd (ADCL) has begun the tunnel works for laying of underground cables.
With this, officials said there would be minimal scope for power interruptions and breakdowns--especially during natural calamities like cyclones and heavy winds, besides reduction in power theft and pilferage.
The ADCL, which is working on underground tunneling system for connecting electrical substations, said the underground power infrastructure would offer qualitative service to the capital city.
Since the demand for power would keep increasing in Amaravati, the project would facilitate in laying of more cables with ease as and when required, an official working on the project said. "As there will not be any overhead lines and electric poles, there will not be any diggings on the roads that is often the case," the official said.
As part of the project, around 80 km of underground tunneling and 230 km of underground HDPE ducting is being done along the trunk roads of capital Amaravati. "Apart from this, HDPE ducts would be laid for 1,000 kms along the roads being developed at the plots given to the farmers enrolled under land pooling scheme," another official added.
As per the master plan, the three-year capital expenditure for power utilities and Information and Communication Technology infrastructure is pegged at Rs 950 crore. ADCL is seeking help from APTRANSCO, APSPDCL and Singapore's Centre for Liveable Cities for the project execution.
The official added that roads expansion works in future could be taken up without worrying about relocation of power utilities. "There will not be any untoward incident--like electrocution of line men while repairing faulty line--as workers can move across the ducts at tunnels to reach faulty area. There will not be snapping of any wire as well, thus making the maintenance easy," the official observed. On top of everything, the city's aesthetics could be preserved as the cluttered electric line were being done away with, he remarked.