Dehradun: Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UK-UPCL) Managing Director Anil Kumar said that underground power lines will be laid this year in place of overhead transmission power lines and electrical poles in the State's capital city to reduce costs of transmission. Under the smart city project, Dehradun will have these underground power lines at a cost of Rs 500 crore, he said.
Anil Kumar said that with the latest approval of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project is expected to kickstart in the next 3 to 4 months. As per reports, the government launched the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) on June 25, 2015. Over 100 Smart Cities were selected through four rounds of competition from January 2016 to June 2018. Uttar Pradesh topped with a maximum 13 of smart cities, Tamil Nadu had 12, and Maharashtra had 10.
The overhead power lines always posed difficulties. Moreover, the clustered network of wires dangling on the roads hindered the beauty of the hill state. Also, this proved to a financial burden on the state. With underground power lines, the cost of erecting and replacing electric poles can be saved, said UPCL MD Anil Kumar.
Many times electric poles had to be shifted due to the widening of roads or for construction works. With underground wiring, the administration will be relieved of these problems, he added. The removal of overhead power lines is undertaken under the Smart City Scheme. The year ahead is likely to see the completion of the Centre's flagship urban transformation scheme - 'Smart City Mission'. It ensures that people gain access to core infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment, and quality of life through the application of smart solutions.
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