COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) has submitted a proposal to the National Highways Department seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) to install a twisted electricity cable from the Pasur sub-station to Vadakkalur village in Annur block, Coimbatore district.
At present, the village receives electricity from the Irumborai sub-station, located about 25 km away, resulting in frequent outages and significant power losses. To address these issues, the department has been trying to connect Vadakkalur to the nearer Pasur sub-station. However, objections from the National Highways Department delayed the plan for nearly five years.
Following TNPDCL’s proposal to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, officials from the National Highways Department have begun assessing it, and approval is expected shortly.
Vadakkalur village panchayat has over 4,700 electricity connections, covering residential areas as well as farmland. The current supply is routed through around 80 transformers from the Irumborai sub-station. Officials said the long distance causes severe line losses and frequent breakdowns, a problem that villagers, particularly farmers, have been raising for several years.
“The only way to fix the problem is to reduce the strain on the power lines caused by the long distance,” a TNPDCL official said. “We had planned to provide electricity to half of the connections from Irumborai and the remaining from Pasur, and the proposal was submitted back in 2017. However, the National Highways Department refused permission, as installing the lines along the Sathyamangalam–Annur National Highway for about one kilometre would affect the trees along the road. We have now reworked the project using the ABC twisted cable method, which does not affect the trees. We hope the highways department will allow us to carry out the work as soon as possible.”
The officer added that lines had been installed in other areas except for the stretch under the NH limit. Once clearance is received, TNPDCL can proceed with splitting the village’s power supply between Irumborai and Pasur.
Sources from the National Highways Department confirmed they had received TNPDCL’s proposal and completed the assessment, assuring that it would be cleared soon.