Mangaluru: Mescom will convert power lines passing through forest areas and elephant corridors in its jurisdiction to covered conductor systems to improve safety and minimise power disruptions, MESCOM chairman K Harish Kumar said Saturday.The system uses electrically insulated wires and will be introduced in the Puttur, Shivamogga, Sagar, Chikkamagaluru-1, Chikkamagaluru-2, Koppa and Kundapura divisions.Harish said Mescom has recently recruited 395 power men, easing the shortage of field staff, while another 165 will be recruited through KPTCL shortly.He said most earlier recruits were from North Karnataka and many were subsequently transferred to other Escoms after a restriction on such transfers was withdrawn.Of the 395 recent recruits, only five are from Dakshina Kannada, while fewer than 50 are from areas covered by Mescom, he said.To improve field staff safety, Mescom will procure 705 non-contact voltage detectors. Six transformer-testing benches will also be purchased to check transformer quality, along with a vehicle-mounted underground cable fault detection system that can be taken to locations where required.Harish said measures have also been initiated to lay underground cables in the Ullal, Mannagudda and Kavoor sub-divisions, with work already under way at some locations.In Ullal, the work will cover Ullal, Someshwar, Kumpala, Moorukatte, Bagambila, Kolya, Uchila and Beribail. In Mannagudda, it will cover Newchitra Talkies, Kudroli Temple, Ladyhill Road, PVS, Dongerkery, Bejai, KSRTC Bus Stand, Bejai-Kapikad, Hat Hill and Daddalkad. In Kavoor, the work will cover the Bondel-Kavoor Airport main road.On smart meters, Harish said four testing benches will be procured to check their accuracy and quality. He added that smart meters have been made mandatory for all new connections, with post-paid meters for domestic consumers and prepaid meters for temporary connections.The system will enable Mescom to monitor consumption remotely, while consumers can track their daily usage through a mobile app, he said.Mescom is also facing outstanding electricity bill payments of Rs 305.8 crore from gram panchayats and urban local bodies, Harish said. Of this, Rs 298.1 crore is pending from gram panchayats and around Rs 7 crore from TMCs and CMCs.He said Mescom has recruited 100 security personnel on contract and will procure 512 computers to strengthen cyber security.“The company has also approved procurement of C-type wedge connectors and 5,250 Dolo cut-outs to ensure uninterrupted power supply. It has purchased 5,450 transformers and initiated steps to construct its own buildings for the Kundapura, Kaup, Karkala and Shankaranarayana sub-divisions,” Harish said.Harish said Mescom incurred a loss of Rs 25.7 crore between April 1 and Aug 26 due to damage caused by pre-monsoon and monsoon rain and gusty winds. Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada and Shivamogga reported the most serious damage, with 17,770 electricity poles and 496.3km of power lines affected, he added.
