CLIMATE RESILIENT POWER INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COASTAL AREAS

CLIMATE RESILIENT POWER INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COASTAL AREAS

As per Electricity Act 2003, distribution of electricity is a licensed activity and it is the duty of the respective distribution licensee to develop and maintain an efficient, safe and economical distribution system in its area of supply.

Government of India launched Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in July 2021 to support distribution utilities improve their operational efficiency and financial viability. Under the scheme, Disaster/ Cyclone Resilient Works amounting to Rs. 3,088 Cr have been sanctioned for coastal areas in the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Sanctioned works includes HT and LT underground cabling, Ring Main Unit (RMU), Ariel Bunched Cabling (ABC), augmentation of distribution transformers etc.

Disaster management plan for power sector published by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) focuses on grid resilience, disaster resistant generation, transmission and distribution network to ensure reliable power supply to all geographically specific areas, including coastal areas like Konkan region, keeping in view extreme weather related instance and natural disasters.

Further, CEA (Technical Standards for Construction of Electrical Plants and Electrical Lines) Regulations 2022 and CEA (Grid Standards) Regulation 2010 mentions about use of underground cables in coastal areas, emergency restoration system to minimize outage, GIS substation in seismic prone areas, coastal areas etc.

In addition, the report of task force on ‘Cyclone Resilient Robust Electricity Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure in the Coastal Areas’ constituted by Ministry of power was circulated to all stakeholders in June 2021 wherein it was requested that each coastal State/ UT may mark out areas prone to cyclone within 20 to 30 km of coast line and any new construction/ reconstruction of power system in these areas will follow a design parameter as laid down in the report.

For the State of Maharashtra, Rs 17,237 crores have been sanctioned under RDSS for distribution infrastructure works which includes substations, underground cabling, augmentation of network etc crucial for smart grid. The sanctioned work also include following:

 

 

In addition, smart metering works for 2.35 crore consumer meter, 4.1 lakh distribution transformer meter and 29,214 feeder meter have also been sanctioned under RDSS.

 

Further, following measures are being taken to promote cyber security of Power Sector in the country including Maharashtra:

 

 

 

 

 

This information was given by the Minister of State for Power, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.