New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday launched a series of projects aimed at modernising Delhi’s power network and infrastructure while preserving the heritage character of the Walled City.The key highlight was the inauguration of the underground cabling project in Chandni Chowk, alongside the foundation laying for a new grid sub-station at Mandoli and four battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in south and west Delhi.
The Chandni Chowk project, estimated to cost nearly Rs 160 crore, will convert the existing overhead electricity network into a modern underground system across 26 key roads in the area. Nearly 52.5km of wiring will be shifted underground, said BSES. The project includes the installation of almost 500 new feeder pillars and decorative street lighting poles, and the deployment of digital twin technology for real-time monitoring of the network.Officials said the work will be carried out in phases, largely during night hours, to minimise disruption to residents, traders and traffic movement. Nearly 10,000 consumers are expected to directly benefit, they added. The initiative aims to reduce fire hazards, curb weather-related disruptions, enhance safety and significantly improve the visual landscape of the historic precinct, the CMO stated.The wiring in and around the Chandni Chowk area has raised safety concerns. Narrow, historic lanes are crisscrossed with dense, tangled overhead electrical, internet and cable wires that hang low over streets and shops, creating fire, electrocution and short-circuit risks in one of the city’s busiest commercial districts.CM Gupta said the underground cabling project would make the area safer, more organised and aesthetically refined, calling it “a landmark step towards both heritage conservation and smart infrastructure development”.She also noted that while an earlier assurance of Rs 100 crore was made for development works in the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, the allocation could rise to Rs 1,000 crore, depending on emerging requirements. Redevelopment of 28 roads has already commenced in the current phase, she added.In east Delhi’s Mandoli, CM laid the foundation stone for a 66/11 kV GIS grid sub-station. The project, estimated to cost Rs 55.5 crore, will have a capacity of 63 MVA. It is targeted for completion within 18 months. About 1.5 lakh consumers in Mandoli, Harsh Vihar, Bank Colony and adjoining areas are expected to benefit, said officials. The grid is set to reduce voltage fluctuations and frequent outages, while ensuring reliable supply to key institutions like Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, Mandoli Jail and the DTC EV bus depot.Meanwhile, four new BESS projects under BRPL are targeted for commissioning before March 2027. Nearly 50,000 consumers in Shivalik, nearly 1.8 lakh in Dwarka and 28,000 in Goyla Khurd are likely to benefit. The battery systems are expected to reduce peak-hour load shedding, improve voltage stability and support the clean energy transition.Power minister Ashish Sood said the programme reflects a “forward-looking transformation” of Delhi’s power sector. He added that projects worth Rs 3,000 crore pending under DTL have been approved. “A Rs 17,000-crore roadmap has been prepared for the next three years, positioning Delhi’s power infrastructure to meet future demand,” he said.
