CHENNAI: Minister for Electricity P Thangamani on Friday informed the Assembly that the closure of the Sterlite copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi had affected the supply of copper required for making transformers and as such, efforts were made to procure the copper required from other sources.
Responding to a question from DMK MLA KK Sami about frequent power cuts in his constituency, the minister said there were numerous requisitions for underground cabling in Chennai but the problem was that these cables were damaged by telephone exchange workers and Metro Rail project workers etc. So, there was no power cut, but only power interruption in parts of the city.
The minister further said transformers were being changed in proportion to the power supply and of late another problem had cropped up. “Around 70 per cent of the copper required for transformers was supplied by the Sterlite copper plant. Since the closure of that plant, efforts are being made to procure the required copper from other sources,” he added.