In June 2015, former Union Minister of State for Power and Coal, Piyush Goyal, announced a Rs 432-crore project to lay underground cable lines over 16 square kilometres in Varanasi, catering to over 50,000 consumers. In September that year, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for the country in Varanasi through Powergrid, a state-owned electric utilities company.
Two years from then, Varanasi is set to go wireless with its overhead power cables being dismantled, thanks to the successful completion of Piyush Goyal’s vision, according to a Times of India report.. Turns out, for Powergrid, the proposal and the actual requirement to lay underground cables through the city’s congested markets and winding, narrow streets were very different. Eleven old substations have been modernised and two new ones built from scratch at Chowk and Kazzakpura areas.
Demographics-wise Seoul and some Turkish cities on the riverfront were considered complicated. While implementing IPDS in Varanasi, we realised this is the most complicated city to lay infrastructure for underground cables.Powergrid’s project manager for IPDS Varanasi, Sudhakar Gupta speaking to The Times of India
Since lanes are narrow, very small pedestal boxes had to be installed for switch boxes. Additionally, dealing with existing underground lines for sewage and water supply without any map of where they lie was also a big challenge. Powergrid workers often ended up damaging them since they were digging in the dark; work then had to be stopped till compensation was paid to the relevant agency.
The pilot project was rolled out in Kabir Nagar and Ansarabad in December 2015, after which Goyal visited the city regularly to monitor the project’s progress.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)