No power meters on ground floor of buildings in low-lying areas

Apartments located in low-lying areas and having their electricity meters in the basement or on the ground floor must shift them to the first floor, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar said on Thursday.

Following the heavy rainfall in Bengaluru, water seeped into the electricity meters in many residential buildings in low-lying areas, leading to power outages till the meters were fully
dried.

The government will ask people to shift the metres to the first floor within six months. The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) will conduct a survey and issue the notices, Shivakumar told journalists.

The government, however, does not have the data on the number of electricity meters and transformers in low-lying areas that were damaged because of heavy rainfall. The minister said: “Every year, waterlogging happens in the basements of nearly 50 buildings in HSR Layout 6th Sector and nearly 40 buildings in Koramangala 4th Block. Shifting the meters will not take more than two to three days.”

Shivakumar further said that the shifting of meters and transformers would happen in a phased manner as the entire city had to be covered. “Based on the high court directions, transformers will be moved away from the roadside. Bescom has a design ready on four- and five-star transformers. These can be mounted on poles, too,” he said.

Rooftop solar panels
Bescom is also installing rooftop solar panels in government buildings across the city at a cost of Rs 66 crore. The minister said officials had been given “strict instructions” to ensure that the panels are installed on rooftops, not on the ground. No court interference or political pressure will be tolerated, he added.

Power purchase
To meet the rising demand for electricity, the Energy Department has invited tenders for a
Rs 1,000-crore project to buy power from other states. The current demand is 9,000-9,500 MW while the supply ranges from 8,000 MW to 8,500 MW.

By the end of September, the demand would go up to 10,000 MW as IP sets would start working and because of festivals.

To meet the demand and store power for the summer, electricity will be purchased, Shivakumar said. He added that the water level in reservoirs was just 55% of the overall capacity.