Bescom takes first step to remove transformers from footpaths

In a significant move which can ensure the safety of pedestrians, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has taken up a feasibility study to shift transformers blocking footpaths in the City.

Pedestrians can hope to have some more space to walk on the congested footpaths without any fear of electricity-related accidents, as Bescom, after getting an earful from the High Court on July 24, is making efforts to shift as many transformers as possible from footpaths. According to Bescom, the City has around 9,000 transformers on footpaths.

A feasibility study has already begun and is expected to be completed within a week. “A survey to study the feasibility has begun. Of the 45,000 transformers in the City, around 9,000 of them are on footpaths. The study will be completed within a week,” Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Managing Director, Bescom, told Deccan Herald on Tuesday.

Stating that Bescom had seriously thought of shifting transformers from footpaths much before the High Court orders, Pandey said the process will be based on several options the power supply company believes will be safe and prevent accidents in the future.

As a first option, Bescom plans to shift some of the transformers on a ‘self-execution basis’ along the lines of apartments and commercial complexes which have dedicated transformers within their premises. “Some apartments and commercial complexes which consume more power will have their own dedicated transformers called self-execution basis transformers (SEBT). We have plans to shift the power load to a few SEBTs. This survey will focus on the feasibility of where the load can be shifted,” explained Pandey.

The second option before Bescom is to shift some of the transformers to nearby vacant government land or government buildings. The survey is in the process of identifying such locations. The third option is to shift roadside transformers by replacing them with compact substations. “These substations will be compact, but they too require space. The survey will explore the feasibility of this option also,” said Pandey.

However, the solution won’t come easy, as the entire process involves finances and the company also needs to get the go-ahead from the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) for the project. “In addition to the financial requirement, there is also a need to make some changes in the regulations, for which the KERC permission is a must. We will approach the Commission after we get the survey report,” said Pandey.