MADURAI: With maintenance work put on hold in May and June due to the Lok Sabha election and school and college exams in Madurai, Tangedco faces an uphill task in resolving these issues.
According to official records, Tangedco’s assessment for mass maintenance work was taken up in the first week of June. Based on the report, pending works were identified — 1,950 (tree clearance), 634 (damaged HT pole replacement), 702 (low sagging of wires), 31,396 (weak and damaged insulators), 751 (pole support wire) and 522 (distribution transformer maintenance).
Elaborating on the need for maintenance, TNEB Retired Employees Union deputy state secretary V Pichairajan said, "For the past two months (April and May), Tangedco could not carry out monthly maintenance works due to school and college exams and Lok Sabha election. As a result, only emergency repair works were carried out. The components to be repaired and maintained are vital for uninterrupted power supply. For example, fixing damaged HT poles or rectifying low-sagging wires are key to reducing power supply disruptions. Most importantly, maintenance of the distribution transformer (DT) should be performed at regular intervals."
A local lineman from Tangedco said, "In the last week of May and the first three weeks of June, moderate and heavy rain lashed several locations in Madurai city and suburban areas. Rain and lighting severely damaged insulators in many locations. Besides, excess voltage has also damaged and weakened insulators. If they are not replaced, there will be frequent power disruptions."
Speaking to TNIE, a top Tangedco official said, "Though it is an uphill task for the entire division, we have already carried out emergency work during the past two months. For the past 10 days, tree branches were removed at 252 locations, while DT structure maintenance was carried out at 12 locations. There is a huge pendency in replacing damaged insulators and DT structure maintenance. We have divided work in each section in Madurai Electricity Distribution Circle (MEDC) and will complete them as early as possible."