The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd. has commenced laying of electrical underground cables as part of the Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Project (CDRRP) in Cuddalore municipal limits.
Engineering and construction major Larsen and Toubro, which has been awarded the tender, will be implementing two projects at a cost of ₹347 crore with financial assistance from the World Bank.
A senior official of Tangedco said, “The underground cable project work covers about 50% of the areas in Cuddalore town located 5 km from the coast.
The project is a major step in creating better infrastructure involving conversion of about 56 km of High Tension cable and 94 km of Low Tension cable into underground cables under Project II and 69 km of High Tension cable and 142 km of Low Tension cable under Project III.”
The service cables will also be underground and will benefit over 30,000 consumers in the coastal areas. The CDRRP also includes setting up of six feeders under the two projects.
Safe method
The official said the underground cable network was a safe method of power transmission and with conversion of overhead lines to underground cables, there would be reduction of line faults. Moreover there will be an uninterrupted power supply. After the commissioning of the project, new service connections would be given to residents.
With Cuddalore district repeatedly ravaged by natural disasters including cyclones and floods, the project is aimed at having a resilient underground electrical network, to counter damages during and after cyclones, thunderstorm and other such natural calamities along coastline of Cuddalore town. Nagapattinam is the other district where the project is being implemented.
A senior official said though the project was first mooted in 2013-14, it was delayed due to tardy progress in getting approval of the Coastal Regulation Zone and other procedural formalities.
The network is safer to public lives and property and aims to reduce vulnerability of coastal communities to a range of natural hazards like storm surges, floods and tsunamis, he said.
The trenches for laying the cables will be dug at a depth of 1.8 metres on one side of the road. It will be done in phases and the ducts will be covered with inter-locking paver blocks.
The cost of maintenance under the project will also be less and the fault areas can be easily identified, the official added.