Pandemic delays substation projects, may hit summer supplies
LUCKNOW: Delay in number of power substation projects due to pandemic have come in the way of UP government’s efforts towards improving the power supply of the state capital, said officials of Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA).
“Covid has played a big role in delaying power substation projects. Due to this delay, residents may suffer problems of low voltage and power cuts this summer,” feared an official,
Aminabad, which is the most overburdened substation, was supposed to have another substation at Hanuman Temple park but power supply in the area could suffer this year too as the new substation is still not completed.
It was supposed to get completed by December this year but now it is expected to get ready by July next year.
“We are hopeful of completing these projects before summers set in,” said Suryapal Gangwar, managing director (MD) Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd.
He appreciated the work of UPPCL during the lockdown.
He said, “UPPCL staff kept on working even during the lockdown to ensure power supply in the city. They have worked hard during the pandemic.”
Avadhesh Varma, chairman, Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad said, “A substation at Amarai Gaon was proposed to offload the power supply in Indira Nagar, Chinhat, Takrohi but the substation of 20MVA is still not ready in Amrai Gaon.
This substation was supposed to be completed by August 2020 but now the work is expected to take six more months.
Similarly, the 20 MVA substation at Polytechnic Faizabad Road and another substation at Daud Nagar was expected to start till August this year but all these substations are now expected to start functioning by June next year.
Varma said, “Several billing centres were also promised by LESA at several places like Hariharpur, Buddheswar crossing, Kalyanpur, , Raitha road but these centres are still under construction.”
Chief engineer LESA MAdhukar Varma said, “Despite odds, Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration has worked very well. When people were sitting inside their houses fearing the spread of virus, our staff was working 24X7 in the field. The work on these substations is going on and LESA will try to complete the work before the summers set in.”