Bescom to lay underground cables

Bescom to lay underground cables
The Times of India

Bangalore: Bescom is fed up of being criticised again and again for failing to curb frequent power shutdowns when it rains.
As a solution, it is seriously thinking of going underground — in terms of cable-laying, that is.

Bescom MD Bharat Lal Meena said the company has already proposed to the energy regulator that underground (UG) cabling be made mandatory for future private layouts.

But there’s a problem: such a measure will boost costs (of sites and construction) because Bescom sources themselves say that UG cables cost between 5 and 15 times as much as ordinary or overhead cables. If an overhead cable costs Rs 1.5-Rs 1.7 lakh per km, taking it underground will make it 5 to 15 times costlier.

Since builders/developers now carry out all electricity-related work (as per rates set by Bescom), they, in turn, will merely pass on the cost to the site or flat-buyer.

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) is still noncommittal on the proposal that Bescom reportedly sent it in May. “KERC sought some clarifications which we have given. Now, it is up to the regulator,’’ a senior official said.

According to him, Bescom has two suggestions: one on underground cabling, another on putting up aerial bunched cables (ABC). Both will reduce electrocutions and power cuts. As of now, Bescom has ABCs in areas such as J.P. Nagar and BTM Layout on a trial basis. It wants UG too as a pilot project.

But within Bescom, some officials want the company to proceed cautiously in UG cabling. “The cost factor is the biggest deterrent. With UG cables, road-cutting and re-laying will be additional burdens. Developers are also not happy about the high costs,’’ a source said.

At present 40 per cent of Bescom’s 11 KV network is underground. Putting the rest underground will be extremely expensive. Meena, for one, had earlier admitted that it will cost Rs 5,000 crore to put the system underground.