Coconut farmers urge Tangedco to insulate overhead power lines

According to details shared by Tangedco,  branches of 39,972 trees were trimmed in  Udumalaipet division in the last six months.
File photo of a Tangedco power station in Chennai | Express
File photo of a Tangedco power station in Chennai | Express

TIRUPPUR: Stating that trimming branches will reduce the yield, coconut farmers have appealed to Tangedco to insulate overhead feeder lines, passing through their fields. They pointed out that branches come in contact with the lines and trigger power outages frequently.

According to details shared by Tangedco,  branches of 39,972 trees were trimmed in the Udumalaipet division in the last six months. Among them, 95% were coconut trees. There are more than 62,000 hectares of coconut farms with 1.03 crore trees in the Tiruppur district.  As more power connections are offered, these lines run either on the farm borders or inside the farmlands, said sources.

Speaking to TNIE, C Manoharan, a farmer from Gudimangalam said, “A feeder line passes through my coconut farm and power gets disconnected whenever a branch comes into contact with it. If the feeder line is connected to the transformer, the fuse is replaced within minutes by Tangedco workers. However, if the main line is connected to the feeder line, then it takes hours to restore the supply. This has been the case for the past twenty years.”

P Singaram, a farmer from Udumalaipet, said, “I own more than 40 acres of coconut farm in Vallakundapuram and two power lines run through my land. The branches frequently fall on the powerline, and sometimes it takes hours to repair it. As this is a regular issue, we request the authorities to insulate the power lines.”

Also, some farmers alleged that as the branches are trimmed, the coconut yield is getting reduced, affecting their profit. Officials from Tangedco explained that the trimming exercise is a temporary measure.

An official said, “Power lines from Tangedco division are spread through several acres of farmland in Udumalaipet zone, which includes Udumalaipet town, Pollachi and Valankurichi. Since feeder lines go through farmland, one can find at least 200 branches protruding in a single coconut farm. So, we have initiated the massive exercise which is a part of the maintenance work. But, in order to resolve the issue permanently, a large-scale turnkey project is being discussed by higher officials and they are planning to procure insulated covered conductors. However, its cost is very high as such a kilometre-long insulated covered conductor will cost more than Rs 5 lakh.”

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com