Delhi CM Gupta launches pilot project to shift overhead power cables underground in Shalimar Bagh

New Delhi, Jul 12 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday launched a pilot project to remove the overhead power lines and shift them underground at BH Block, Janta Flats Colony, in her Shalimar Bagh constituency.
     Gupta said the project, with an outlay of Rs 8 crore, is expected to be completed in three months.
     Asserting this is just the beginning, the chief minister said the government plans to expand this pilot project to other parts of Delhi soon.
     A dedicated budget of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for the phased rollout across various areas of the capital, she added in a statement.
     Gupta said the underground wiring system will make the electricity supply more reliable, safe and efficient.
     The project aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Smart Infrastructure" mission, she added.
     The chief minister said this project will change the face of the densely packed colony by freeing it from the web of overhead wires improving aesthetics of the area.
     The project involves removing five kilometers of overhead high tension (HT) and low tension (LT) wires and replacing them with 10 kilometers of underground LT (440V) and 1.2 kilometers of HT (11KV) network, the statement said.
     Additionally, 23 new double-source feeder pillar boxes will be installed to enhance the reliability of the power supply. Once implemented, the project will ensure uninterrupted 24x7 power supply in all seasons, it added.
     Gupta congratulated Power Minister Ashish Sood and his team for their efforts and reiterated the government's goal of ensuring that no part of the city remains tangled in overhead wires.
     All electrical lines will be safely shifted underground, transforming the capital into a clean, secure and modern energy-efficient city, she added.
     Sood on his part said the project will ensure safe and uninterrupted electricity supply in all weather conditions.
     The project is being executed by power discom Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power-DDL)
that supplies electricity in areas of north Delhi.
     Tata Power-DDL Chief Executive Officer Dwijadas Basak was also present at the launch of the pilot project.
     Drawing inspiration from modern power infrastructure in leading global cities, the conversion of the overhead electrical network to an underground system is a first-of-its-kind pilot project aimed at transforming the current infrastructure into a model distribution network, Tata Power-DDL said in a statement.
     It aims to create a scalable and replicable model for safe, efficient and aesthetically improved urban power supply infrastructure that can be extended to other parts of Delhi, it added.
     With the successful implementation of this pilot, the model may be extended across other colonies and districts, making Delhi a benchmark city for modern, sustainable and citizen-centric utility services, said the statement.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)