TGSPDCL Mandates Land Allocation for Substations in New Developments
HYDERABAD: The Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Limited (TGSPDCL) has sent a memo to its senior officials, particularly in the GHMC and its suburbs, to insist on land for the construction of substations at the sites of multi-storey buildings, gated communities and open plot layouts, which consume more than 2,500 kW power, to ensure the quality and accident-free power supply for the consumers.
Talking to Deccan Chronicle, TGSPDCL chairman and managing Director Musharraf Ali Faruqui said earmarking land for substations was not a new practice.
“The discom is ready to supply up to 2,000 kW of power, sufficient for 400 flats/houses. However, for mega townships or multi-storey structures with hundreds of houses, the TGSPDCL cannot ensure a sub-station with public money.”
He said many projects with approval from HMDA had been coming up on large chunks of land on the city outskirts. “Once the plots are sold and when the houses are completed, how can the government build a sub-station there? That’s why we are asking our officials to ensure earmarking of land for setting up the sub-station when the layout is done,” Faruqui explained.
The TGSPDCL memo asked its officials to insist on allotment of land for the construction of 33 or 11 kV substations as per the loads in new ventures. The existing network would be overloaded if it carried bulk and concentrated loads for the new ventures.
The discom asked its officials to have 800 sq. yards of land earmarked to set up a sub-station where more than 500 or more dwelling units are coming up in a multi-storey building as it requires more than 2,500 kW of power. In gated communities spread over 35 acres, it was asked to earmark 1,500 sq. yards of land.
Ram Reddy from Credai-Hyderabad said the government move is a burden for small projects. As the land cost had steeply increased and had already burdened the builders, the discom must hold deliberations with the concerned builder's associations instead of going unilateral on its decision. Moreover, the use of new technology and new machinery for setting up a sub-station requires less spread of land unlike in the past, he observed.