Gurugram – The ambitious Smart Grid project, aimed at ensuring uninterrupted power supply in Gurugram, has come to a standstill over the past two months. Out of the 580 feeders planned to be placed underground, only 63 have been completed so far. Chief Engineer of the Electricity Corporation, V.K. Agrawal, has recommended the removal of the company responsible for the incomplete work and suggested that the remaining tasks be assigned to a different firm.
Delay in Project Completion
In February, the company was issued a notice to expedite the work. Despite working for about one and a half months after the notice, the progress has halted completely in the last 15 days. Initially, it was expected that all 11 kV wires across the city would be underground before the monsoon. This would have alleviated the power outages caused by storms and falling trees.
Unfinished Work in Kadipur and Sohna
The Smart Grid project was initiated in 2017 with a completion timeline of two years. The work was allocated in 2019 and 2020 to three companies: Tata, L&T, and Vindhya Tele Links. While L&T and Vindhya Tele Links have completed their tasks, Tata has been repeatedly notified due to slow progress. The project, covering sectors 1 to 57 with an 11 kV line, has a budget of ₹1135.65 crore. Out of the 580 feeders, 517 (89.14%) have been successfully placed underground. Of these, 502 feeders have been charged, marking the commencement of the Smart Grid operation.
Overall Progress
A total of 86.55% of the 11 kV cables have been successfully undergrounded and are operational. This transition involved the deactivation of 269 old feeders. In 2017, it was planned to lay 1909 km of cables from sector 1 to 57. According to the electricity corporation’s data, 95% of the HT cable laying has been completed, with the remaining 5% delayed due to the responsible company’s inefficiency. The electricity corporation is working towards the swift completion of the Smart Grid project. The work in Sohna Road and Kadipur remains pending, and high-level officials have been notified to cancel contracts with companies exhibiting slow progress. This delay has pushed the project nearly five years behind schedule.
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