Hyderabad: Discoms identifying apartments, commercial complexes without transformers

The power officials said whenever the load crosses 15 KW, the apartment needs to install a separate transformer, but a majority of them do not do so resulting in tripping.

Hyderabad: To overcome the issue of frequent tripping and low voltage issues, the Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Limited(TGSPDCL) has launched a special drive to identify residential apartments and commercial complexes drawing more than 20 kilowatts (KW) of power directly without maintaining their own transformer.

According to officials, the company has started identifying residential apartments and commercial complexes drawing more than 20 KW without installing separate transformers. Sources say the head office had served circulars to superintending engineers of all the circles to conduct a special drive and identify such connections.

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The company during its initial survey has found large scale overload issue on public distribution transformers in Kukatpally, Miyapur, Balanagar, Yellareddyguda, Yousufguda, Moti Nagar, Gopanpally Journalist Colony and Secunderabad limits. Sources say the Cyber City area topped the list of residential apartments and commercial complexes not having separate transformers, followed by Saroornagar and Medchal.

The officials have identified about 150 apartments and commercial complexes in the Manikonda area alone drawing more than 20 KW from the public distribution transformers. The company staff has so far identified over 2000 apartments and commercial complexes in the city not having separate transformers and using over 20 KW power, sources said.

The SPDCL authorities would soon be issuing notices to residential apartments and commercial complexes drawing more than 20 KW of power without installing transformers, sources added.

The power officials said whenever the load crosses 15 KW, the apartment needs to install a separate transformer, but a majority of them do not do so resulting in tripping. The apartment associations manage the lower level power officials and avoid installation of separate transformers, sources said.

“Unaudited loads are leading to frequent tripping and low voltage issues in the city. If these apartments maintain their own transformers, such issues can be overcomed,”the officials said.

“The advantage of having a transformer inside the apartment makes it easier to prevent other external or temporary consumers from being connected to the same transformer and thereby reducing the power available to the building,” an official observed.

The special drive would help check the frequent voltage problems and tripping of power due to overload,”the officials said.