Colva: Direct supply from Xeldem and a major network revamp have strengthened power infrastructure in Benaulim constituency, but consumers in several coastal villages continue to face frequent interruptions. Even as the post-monsoon season ushers in hot and humid conditions, residents of several coastal villages in Salcete continue to grapple with prolonged and repeated power outages.For the past month and a half, unscheduled interruptions have disrupted daily life, leaving households, businesses, and other electricity consumers inconvenienced despite significant investments to strengthen the power infrastructure in the Benaulim constituency.In 2024, the electricity department invested Rs 44.2 crore to strengthen the region’s power infrastructure. A key component of the initiative was a proposed 58km underground cabling network connecting the Benaulim substation directly to Xeldem, aimed at improving the efficiency and reliability of power distribution.Recalling the challenges faced in the past, former assistant engineer Nicholau Moraes said the overhead lines connecting the Xeldem and Cuncolim substations once passed through fields, forests, and waterlogged areas. These difficult conditions made fault detection and maintenance extremely challenging, often complicating efforts to restore power.The department also undertook a comprehensive replacement of transformers, electrical poles and transmission lines across the Benaulim constituency. According to power minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar, the transmission lines had originally been established in 1965, with repairs subsequently carried out on a piecemeal basis. A complete revamp of the network was undertaken at a cost of Rs 11 crore in 2024.The overhaul was intended to improve the reliability and continuity of electricity supply, particularly in the coastal villages of the constituency.Moraes maintained that the power situation had improved fourfold following the comprehensive infrastructure overhaul, with the commissioning of the direct underground supply from Xeldem further strengthening the system.However, the benefits of the new arrangement have yet to extend uniformly across the constituency.Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas acknowledged that more work was required to ensure uninterrupted, round-the-clock electricity supply to the constituency. He said the infrastructure completed so far represented only one phase of the larger improvement programme, with a new substation planned under the second phase to further strengthen the power supply network.For consumers in Benaulim, however, the immediate concern remains the frequent interruptions, and residents are still waiting for these improvements to translate into consistent and dependable power supply.
