Severe voltage fluctuation has left over 13,000 residents of three panchayats under the Pannikode section of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) in distress.
The absence of a dedicated feeder for Pannikode is said to be the main reason for voltage fluctuation in Kodiyathur, Karassery and Chathamangalam panchayats, and the KSEB is yet to attend to the matter. Incidentally, a few consumers from Malappuram’s Kizhuparamba panchayat too have raised complaints over the same issue.
Leaders of a youth club who recently took up the matter with people’s representatives and the KSEB authorities say a dedicated feeder for Pannikode is hardly an expensive venture for the board considering the result it can offer to rural consumers. In addition, the overdependence of the Pannikode substation on Ambalaparambu and Augustianmoozhi substations to meet the daily supply needs is the biggest issue, and it can be addressed only with a dedicated feeder, they point out.
“As of now, the Pannikode substation caters for nearly one-and-a-half lakh consumers at Edavannappara, Mavoor, Mukkom, Omassery, Kattangal, Koduvally, and Thiruvambady. A dedicated feeder at Areekode for the Pannikode station can easily address voltage fluctuation issues,” says P.K. Faizal, a functionary of the village club. By laying a 6-km underground cable between Pannikode and Areekode, the KSEB can easily realise the dedicated feeder, he adds.
The upgrading of the existing 66kV substation at Ambalapparambu as a 220kV station too is a major requirement to address power supply issues in nearby villages. The KSEB has also been requested to check the availability of additional land at its existing station at Koolimadu with Gwalior Rayons for realising the extension possibilities.
Seeking a positive intervention from the authorities, the residents have also submitted mass petitions to Ministers and the KSEB. They point out that the issue has been pending for action for long despite public protests and campaigns.