Er. Vikram Gour
Large scale heavy rains have caused a heavy damage to 11-kv/440v Distribution Transformers (DT) all over the state (especially in Jammu region) resulting in tremendous public inconvenience and heavy loss to the commerce and Industry. In Jammu region alone the damage is around 45-50% of the total (around-16,000) installed DT of various capacities. Even under the normal circumstances the annual rate of damage is around 40% that is very high like T&D losses in our distribution system.
The public unrest and discontent increases when it takes more than 2-3 days to replace a damaged transformer or a replaced transformer gets damaged only after a day or two of its replacement. Public demands immediate replacement of the damaged transformer with a minimum period of power shutdown. The Power Development Department (PDD) has its own inadequacies/problems of not having sufficient number of spare transformers for immediate replacement. It has only one major workshop for repairing the damaged transformers. In addition there are small ill-equipped workshops with each Maintenance Divisional. Bulk of repair work is carried on by private workshops of various transformer manufacturing industrial units in the Industrial sector. The repair work by these units is carried out by paying them directly cash or credit. The damage is so heavy that PDD is unable to pay them the repair charges for years. It is reliably learnt that PDD owes around 35-40 crores to these industrial units and they have now refused to carry out any repair work without the clearance of their outstanding dues.
In a recent meeting with Power Development Department (PDD) top brass the Deputy Chief Minister who holds the Power portfolio impressed upon the engineers to have sufficient number of transformers in stock to provide immediate replacement and the Government also allocated funds to the tune of 18- crores for the purpose without asking the PDD the reasons for such huge number of transformers getting damaged.
In a healthy distribution system where all the transformer-protection accessories are in place and the distribution network is laid according the book the ‘transformer damage’ is hardly around 3-5%. In any scientifically (as per the approved electrical standards) laid distribution system care is taken to save the DT by installation of (starting from the High Tension side):-
* A Lightening Arresters.
* High Voltage fuses through a link set.
* Providing solid/effective Earth Connection.
* Moisture Free transformer oil.
* Silica gel for preventing moisture sneaking into the oil.
* Providing Low Tension (LT) Switches of proper capacity.
* A healthy Earth Wire running all along the LT distribution network.
* Properly strung LT conductors with suitable tension (as laid down in the Electricity Rules) without undue sag to prevent short-circuiting of the conductors.
* All joints properly made with parallel grooves (PG) clamps to prevent sparking.
* A balanced power supply through all the three phases of the transformer.
* Adequate safety and protection around the Sub-station area to prevent any unwanted interference by unauthorized persons.
These are 11-basic minimum requirements of any distribution network as per the laid down standards. Added to this there must be periodic checking and preventive maintenance of the distribution network and the transformer. If this procedure is followed transformer damage cannot be more than 3-4% that too due to unavoidable circumstances.
Unfortunately, 90% of these safety precautions are not taken care of by PDD with the result that there is tremendous financial loss coupled with public’s inconvenience. There can be many reasons for not following this practice including non-availability of adequate funds, trained/ skilled man power, proper training to the workers and above all casual approach of those handling the whole system not excluding the ‘political will’ to set the system on the right track.
It is the most opportune time for the new political setup to efficiently govern, guide and channel the most important power-sector (that is responsible for all round growth and development) of the state in the right direction.
(The author is President Consumer Welfare Association)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel