Facing unscheduled power cuts? When does TNPDCL replace an old transformer?
Residents in Chennai are facing frequent power outages due to aging transformers struggling with increased electrical loads from urban development. The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited is currently managing the issue through load assessments and infrastructure upgrades.
Why it matters
It highlights the challenges of urban infrastructure maintenance in rapidly developing cities facing climate-related stress.
For Bilkhis Sait, “overload”, “changeover” and “low voltage” are everyday terminology. A resident of Marshalls Road in Egmore for the last three decades, Bilkhis notes unscheduled power cuts have become a daily feature in her locality.
“Sometimes, the outage lasts a few hours. At times power goes off in all the three phases,” says Bilkhis.
Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) technicians do attend to complaints raised through the helpline number. “They replace the cable and power is restored but the same issue resurfaces. We have not got a long-term solution,” says the French language trainer who wants the transformer in the neighbourhood upgraded.
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