The Hindu Business Line : AP diploma engineers suggest ways to cut power wastage

THE Andhra Pradesh Power Diploma Engineers Association stated that the power utilities in the State would be able to save 1,725 million units of energy worth Rs 405 crore by erection of single phase transformers for all rural lighting systems, replacement of the existing overhead lines in rural areas with insulated cables and restricting supply to the agricultural loads.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the association Chief Advisor, Mr R.R. Govardhan Reddy, and the Secretary-General, Mr P. Beesi Reddy, said that the power utilities should take the above measures on a war-footing, particularly in view of the policy of the State Government to provide free power to the farm sector.

They said that the association had taken up a pilot project in Mulugu mandal of Medak district last year where all the three measures were implemented.

The project proved that not only 15 per cent of the energy could be saved but also the power utilities could ensure quality power supply in rural areas and provide power round-the-clock for lighting ofrural households.

Transco cuts losses: The Andhra Pradesh Transmission Corporation (APTransco) has succeeded in bringing down the system loss from 39 per cent in 1999-2000 to 24 per cent in 2004-05, a reduction of 15 percentage points over the last five years.

Simultaneously, the Corporation has been able to increase the metered sales of electricity from 37 per cent to 47 per cent. The figure is expected to reach 51 per cent during fiscal 2004-05, according to the Chairman and Managing Director, Ms Rachel Chatterjee.

The CMD said APTransco has finalised long-term and short-term strategies to reduce transmission and distribution loss, which will increase the revenues of the utilities. The reforms process set in motion was aimed at bringing down the loss, reducing tariffs and supplying quality power at affordable prices.

Releasing the book `Currentunu Chooddam' (Let us see current), written by Mr K. Raghu, an Engineer with APTransco, the CMD said that in order to bring the power utilities closer to the people, the AP Energy Regulatory Commission (APERC) has come out with a draft Regulation of Standards of Performance of Licensees, which requires the Licensee to maintain certain identified performance parameters.

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