KOCHI: Opposing the petition against the construction of a power transmission tower in Santhivanam, the KSEB on Tuesday told the High Court that any deviation from the approved route was not technically and economically feasible.

KSEB filed the affidavit in response to a petition filed by Meena Menon, the owner of the land, seeking a directive to the state government and the KSEB to initiate proceedings afresh to shift the proposed the 110 KV electric lines and relocate the tower being constructed on the property. According to the KSEB, the Additional District Magistrate who had inspected the land had found the shifting of alignment not feasible and that it would affect several other persons in the area. 

The contention of the petitioner that about 2 acres of the property’s covered with a dense growth of indigenous trees was not correct. Besides, the route was chosen and approved, causing the least inconvenience and damage to the petitioner’s property.

As per Regulation 58(4) of the Central Electricity Authority Safety Regulations 2010, the minimum ground clearance required for a 110 KV line is 6.1 metre. 

But in the case of the petitioner, the board had decided to provide a vertical clearance of 19.4 metre. 
As there’s no notification, the petitioner’s land cannot not be qualified as a forest land. 
The total length of the line is 7.5 km and there are altogether 30 towers. As many as 15 towers have already been erected and foundation for the remaining towers are almost complete.
 

The line has already been drawn for more than 2 km. Any change in the route would affect the entire alignment and give rise to new complaints from people living near the property, the KSEB contended.