Hi all,
This subject has come up before, on goanet, but only ideas of measurement of
voltage and frequency failure and hours of no power etc. were discussed; and
some even suggested suitable instrmentation and software for 'logging' these
failures/faults. I have myself actually worked on these system of logging,
and that is all it does.The problem in Goa is not that the authorities are
not aware of the above mentioned failures; it is rather the lethargy and non
existing strategy of any kind to really arrest the failures and thus make
possible a sure and steady supply of Electric Power to all consumers. I am
now going to lead a discourse on this matter.
Power involves Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Consumption! The
Consumer whether domestic, industrial or commercial is and should be
uppermost in the strategy of any power supply Company or Department.
So lets take a typical home in a Goan Village or town; what the consumer
wants and by right the consumer should have is a steady uninterrupted supply
of electric power as agreed upon by the supply company, with voltage and
frequency fluctuations kept within the low limits as prescribed under the
Indian Electricity Act. This coping with the Law and commonsense
requirements has never happened in Goa ever since the Govt first starting
supplying power to consumers.
What is worse is that there is no proper strategy to deal with the
situation; and minimise or completely eliminate these failures, which are
basic to the needs of any consumer, and more so in these modern times.
Attempts have been made to procure more and more power from the National
Grid etc. and at increasing the number of transformers too, and employing a
huge number of linesmen to repair fault lines etc. As if these power
failures are due to the natural calamities! this bigger and bigger force of
linesmen is employed and that too in the pay of the Govt. as govt. servants,
simply adding to the exchequer outgo. Have these type of policies helped
towards uninterrupted power supply?? NO, definitely Not!
The persons in authority are not trained to 'look at' the problem where it
lies! There is no focus! So what am I bragging about here?
The problem is 1) with the bad construction and deployment of the
distribution poles and cables etc. Workmanship and construction is horrid;
and overall layout is not technically planned; but according to the whims
and fancy of local politics and unskilled linesmen.
2) the problem is and this is the major one; the actual consumtion of power
is, double or triple the sanctioned power for a dwelling or commercial unit.
The meters are often destroyed by the consumers, in order to cheat, there is
no 'maximum demand' protection for the supply company; when consumers start
to use power by stealth like using electric cooking ranges and other heating
equipment, the demand by stealth goes so much higher to the built in
capacity for the area, you have a serious situation; that of dropping
voltage and frequency; and finally blackout!
3) I know of further steal of power by wiring in such a way that power to
high ampere circuits is done to bypas the power meter thru concealed wiring.
The linesmen and the electrical supervisors know about it; but are probably
getting 'haphta' for it! Or the supervisor and linesmen are not competent to
detect and test for this type of stealth. Multiply this steal from one
consumption unit by 300 or 500 for an average village, and that multiplied
by the total number of villages in any one taluka, and what have you? One
massive fraud and a very very Big Overload on the System! So here is your
answer for excess consumption by stealth!
We cannot summarily increase the system capacity in distribution; hence this
steal of unsanctioned use of high power must stop immediately. thus we will
have more revenue coming in as well as the possibility of power supply at
standard voltage and frequency. Even if somehow more power is available for
Goa, the existing distribution systems have no built in capacity for
supplying the extra power!
Here is my 'practical solution' for stopping these stealing practices, and
resoration of standard power supply to honest consumers within the existing
constraints.
It should be so decreed that consumers stop stealing and even if not
stealing then to abide within their 'sanctioned load'. The Supervisors and
linesmen should not sanction more then the total load under the particular
transformer in the distribution system.
Every Unit should be fitted with a 'circuit breaker' that will trip off when
the sanctioned amount of power is used by the consumer. This CB should be in
the supply company domain and cannot be touched by the consumer, just klike
the meter. That will surely stop the overloading!
Stealing: every consumer unit should be throughly tested and screened and
where fraudulent wiring is found, the unit should be cut off electric power
for at least six months. and fined and possibly charged according to the
law. Also forced to rectify the said wiring immediately; the licensed
electricians who connived in this fraud should be summarily un licensed; all
this should be done after a serious warning, is announced in the press and
over the TV media; so as to take care of the 'humanitarian' aspect. After
that, no mercy should be shown.
Voila, we can have an uninterupted power supply with standard frequency and
voltage and all the phones and modems and Tvs and Pc's in Goa will work ok,
for once, unless by act of God; which is the only time when Goa should
suffer at all.
End now. To be continued ======
Nasci Caldeira
Melbourne
