Hagalwadi power substation yet to see the light of day

The power substation that has come up between Hagalwadi and Shivapura villages has not yet been inaugurated due to the deadlock over laying of electricity lines. Although 95 per cent of the construction has been completed, five per cent is still remaining and the project is yet to see the light of the day.

Residents of Unaganala and Shettihalli villages are the obstacles to the implementation of the project, it is said. Blame is also being laid at the doors of leaders of various political parties who are using the residents to serve their purposes. Residents of both villages protesting against the laying of lines which run over their villages have withheld the substation from commencing operations, say residents of villages under the Hagalwadi gram panchayat.  If the construction works had been completed within the scheduled time period, the substation should have been inaugurated in 2014 and commenced operations. With the substation still under construction, 36 villages under four gram panchayat limits are still steeped in darkness.

The controversy regarding the electricity lines still exists, compounded by the utter negligence of the public representatives. Nobody has bothered to convince the residents of Unaganala and Shettihalli villages to let the project be completed.

The construction work of the substation that can provide electricity to the backward hobli Hagalwadi cost 6.5 crore in 2011.

The dispute is over setting up 10 electricity poles and has been going on for the past two years. Meanwhile, three-fourths of Hagalwadi is still in darkness.

There are allegations that the equipment installed at the substation are being carted away to other substations. If the present conflict is resolved and the substation has to begin operations, it will be stalled again due to the lack of equipment, warn the contractors.

“The area surveyed initially was different from the ones where the electricity lines are being laid. If the lines are laid over Unaganala, 60 families will be pushed into the street.

Houses, sites, agricultural land and Ishwara and Kollapuradevamma temples will all have to be demolished. Also, 20 electricity poles have to be erected along that route. If the lines are laid on the Shettihalli lake, only eight poles are required. It will also not trouble any of the residents, contend residents of Unaganala.

At present, electricity is being supplied to Hagalwadi from the Hosakere substation which is 20 kilometre away. If the substation at Hagalwadi starts operations, Appannanalli, Junjappanahalli, Geddalahalli, Galigekere, Madalapura, Kurehalli, Kodihalli, Guddenhalli, Shivarampura and other villages will be benefitted. That is why the Energy department had approved of the substation.

The farmers of theses regions who are growing bananas, coconuts and areca are in dire straits.

Had the substation begun operations on time, many farmers would not have endured losses.

However, the project has been stalled sue to the negligence of the Energy department and public representatives, said the residents of Hagalwadi, Madalapura, Shivapura and Obalapura.