Major power blackout in State

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 7. Just days after a major power blackout, all of Karnataka was again subjected to another sudden breakdown of electricity supply on Wednesday.

It was caused by a sudden tripping of the State grid that occurred in the early hours on Wednesday.

According to the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL), two 220 KV lines from the Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) leading towards Lingsugur and another 220 KV line between Lingapur and Gudahally tripped at 12.10 a.m. ``...causing a total shutdown of all generating stations in Karnataka except Varahi Generating Station (VGS)''.

When contacted, the KPTCL Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. V.P. Baligar, said that such power breakdowns were caused by heavy withdrawals of power as well as the deplorable condition of transmission lines.

``In summer, there is peak consumption. Besides, IPset (irrigation pumpset) owners work their sets at night because they get inadequate voltage during the day. This puts extra load on the system. Naturally the grid goes beyond our control,'' he told The Hindu.

He said the situation was made all the more difficult because of the KPTCL's old transmission lines. ``The Hubli-Sharavathi line is over 35 years old and most of our breakers and transformers are equally old. The Hubli-Sharavathi line has problems quite often and this has a cascading effect on the other lines,'' he explained.

``Such breakdowns generally occur in summer,'' he said, adding that after the new Budget was presented, the KPTCL would take up repair and restoration work on its transmission lines.

A KPTCL release issued later said that on Wednesday morning, the Varahi station continued to feed Mangalore while 400 KV supply from the Central Generating Station (CGS) was provided to Bangalore via the Somanahally station. ``Power supply from Somanahally station was extended to Sharavathi Generating Station (SGS) by 1.32 a.m. and synchronised with the Sharavathi and Varahi generating units by 1.46 a.m,'' the release said.

Irate citizens, however, complained that many parts of the City experienced total power failure till daybreak on Wednesday.

According to the KPTCL, RTPS was given power from Nagarjunasagar to start its units and by 2.35 a.m. SGS supply was extended to Nagjhari station via Hubli. ``By 5.30 a.m. there was restricted power supply throughout the State,'' the KPTCL said.

At that time, however, six RTPS units, one Kaiga unit and two Jindal Power Station units were still not functioning. Between 6.30 a.m. and 8 a.m., three RTPS units were synchronised and there was a ``partial relaxation of the restriction in power supply''.

But when The Hindu contacted the KPTCL office here at 8 p.m., officials admitted that three RTPS units were still to come on line. ``Hence we have resorted to one-hour loadshedding throughout the State,'' the official explained.

The official was unable to say when exactly normal supply would be restored and stressed that KPTCL personnel were working on the problem.

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