The State Government has pulled up three power distribution companies (discoms) for not making any visible progress in shifting power supply lines from schools and Anganwadi centres and infrastructure development in elephant corridors.
The Energy Department had fixed December 2013 as the deadline for shifting of power lines from the schools and Anganwadi centres and March 2014 for straightening up sagging power lines and other infrastructure development in elephant corridors.
Expressing his displeasure over the poor progress of shifting of line, Energy Secretary PK Jena in a letter to the three discoms - CESU, NESCO, WESCO and Chief Executive Officer, Central Service Ofice, Reliance Energy, has asked them to complete the two works expeditiously. “The progress of the work is very slow as regards schools and Anganwadi and even the work has not been made in case of elephant corridor,” Jena said in his letter.
The Department had allocated requisite fund to the three discoms in August for taking up phase-I programme for shifting of lines and sub-stations.
The Department had instructed the discoms to convert the low transmission lines passing through Government schools and Anganwadi centres (AWCs) to aerial buched (AB) cable where shifting of lines is not possible due to technical reasons or non-availability of right of way (RoW).
Sub-stations upto 100 KVA located within the premises of schools or AWCs should be pole mounted while sub-stations of 250 KVA or more should be plint mounted under similar condition to ensure safety to the school children.
Official sources said that ` 21 crore under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) was released for strengthening of transmission lines across elephant corridors.
There are three elephant reserves - namely Mayurbhanj, Mahanadi and Sambalpur - besides 14 elephant corridors and nine fragmented corridors in the State. A large number of elephants are dying due to electrocution.