Transmission line Faults- Kodagu Power Interruption.

1. Transmission line to Kodagu are run in National Parks , Coffee plantations, wet and dry  fields. Transmission lines for four legs of  tower foundations occupy 10 to 50 sq mts of land for each tower on ground  depending on the line voltage ( 400; 220; 110; 66; 33 KV) and type/design  of tower  and right of way (ROW) and occupy corridor in private and public properties. Transmission line companies Power Grid (PGCIL) & KPTCL are notifying the public in advance the salient features of project and pay compensation to the land owner for placing the respective towers in their lands and to run the power conductors across their land for the width stipulated for different voltages. 
2. Early rains, lightening with thunder, fall of tree branches due to heavy wind & gale, bird faults due to dead carcass lying in Transmission line corridor in National parks & Vultures flying close by conductor fault limits causes faults. Long trees nearer to line corridor like Bamboo falls on line when wild elephants traversing in their regular corridors  up root the tree or due to heavy wind cause faults temporary & permanent  Many times line trips on EFR and when test charged it stands on temporary intermittent transient faults. HUNSUR- PONNAMPET Single circuit 66 KV Line for a distance of 46 Kms was constructed in 1986 and it is time to check disc insulators in suspension & anchor points for EMS & Insulation value. On few occasions earlier, the Disc insulators have decapped causing major break down of 2-3 days. Time taken to attend to break down & power restoration depends on many factors. 
3. On  UGADI (2022) festival day,  the crown of  the 220 KV-Bastipur- Kushalnagar Double circuit line near Hunsur limits came out of joint causing major interruption to entire Kodagu. Partial power to Urban & essential feeders & rural by roster was arranged from 66 KV lines on Hunsur-Hanagodu- Ponnampet & Ramanathapura lines. Ponnampet line is  partly in maidan areas up to Panchavalli limits(HUNSUR TALUK)  and enters the "Rajiv Gandhi National Park - Wild life Project Tiger area"[KODAGU]  out of bounds for public and others. For routine inspection & maintenance AEE TLM and staff obtain permission from RFO Wild Life Thithimathi and arrange for work. Power men of TLM are stationed at Hunsur, Thithimathi & Mayamudi & Kushalnagar. 
4. Yesterday, again on the festival day another fault occurred testing  the existing system.  It rained heavily in the night. Transmission line tripped at Periyapatna at 23.27 hours causing black out to SOUTH KODAGU [Ponnampet, Virajpet & Part of Madikeri] . There is no alternate source arrangement to restore power to South Kodagu, when this 66KV link feeding South Kodagu proves faulty. EE TL&SS HOOTAGALLI has personally rushed in midnight to Periyapatna and started analysing the faults of Relay indications. He has arranged diagnosing the fault by testing the Lightening arrestors at Periyapatna & Hanagodu ends. Finally around 16.00 Hrs today(4th May 2022)  they could locate the bird fault near Thithimathi forest limits and  restored power at 16.27 hours to South Kodagu substations.( Ponnampet/ Srimangala / Virajpet/ Murnad & Siddapur)  
5. CHESCOM Madikeri need to introspect their HT distribution system and come out with solutions to arrange power during emergencies of main Transmission line faults till the EHV  system is improved and brought in conformity with CEA standards with second source of power to District..
6. We need to interact with CHESCOM and examine: i) Can emergency Power be restored to MURNAD Town, from F3 MEKERI feeder  from HAKATHUR? ii) Can Power be restored to MARAGODU/ Kattemadu from Kadagadal new  feeder ( 66/11 MDK end). iii) Can Power be arranged to Napoklu Town from Bhagamandala feeder ? 
7.  KPTCL in a big way has planned for  the year under APW  2022-23 for Capital works for  strengthening  KPTCL network by additional  Link lines and proposing  New substations in KODAGU[New: Bhagamandala, Sampaje, Madapura,Hudikeri, Balele, Upgradation of 33Kv to 66 KV:Hangal Shettihalli, Srimangala,Siddapura, Murnad] under improvements.