BHUBANESWAR: Till a few years back, the role of testing an energy meter would only see male faces. But at TPCODL’s energy meter testing lab in the city, a group of women engineers are now proving that technical expertise in this field has breached gender boundaries.
Set up in 2021, the lab is run by five women engineers who are responsible for ensuring precision in metering. Led by superintending engineer Tanuja Behera, the team comprises Namita Rani Muduli, Asima Rath, Subhashree Sasmita and Sunanda Rani Dalai, all skilled engineers specialising in electrical disciplines. In fact, Tanjua heads TPCODL’s testing labs both in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack which were accredited by the National Accreditation Board for testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL) in 2023.
Tanuja feels being part of a smart meter lab is both a responsibility and privilege. “Every test we conduct plays a crucial role in ensuring accurate billing, thereby helping the customer and the company. Every smart meter that is procured by the company, is first tested in our lab by our women engineers and then sent to the field for installation,” she said.
The Bhubaneswar lab is equipped with three fully automated test benches where the women test both single phase and three phase smart meters to enhance accuracy, transparency and efficiency while eliminating human errors. The team processes close to 300 meters daily, said Sunanda, who is the youngest amongst the five engineers. Since its establishment, the team has successfully tested over one lakh meters.
When the women joined TPCODL, they worked across different technical and operational departments to gain exposure in the power distribution system, meter installation and data analytics. Realising their potential, the power utility company provided them advanced training in smart metering, energy auditing and precision testing technologies.
They have now transitioned into key roles in the meter testing lab wherein they ensure accuracy and efficiency. “The power sector is today evolving and it has women at every level who are leading the change while balancing work-life challenges. We take pride in ensuring precision and quality in every meter we test and this is also a scope for us to prove that women can excel in highly technical domains now,” said Namita.