Bhatti Vikramarka Visits Bengaluru to Study Underground Power Infrastructure Model
The visit is part of Telangana’s broader mission to revamp urban infrastructure, improve power supply reliability, and reduce visual clutter in rapidly expanding cities.
Bengaluru: In a bid to modernize Telangana’s urban power systems, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka visited Bengaluru on Tuesday to study the city’s ambitious underground cabling initiative spearheaded by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM).
Table of Contents
Focus on Power Safety, Reliability and Urban Aesthetics
The visit is part of Telangana’s broader mission to revamp urban infrastructure, improve power supply reliability, and reduce visual clutter in rapidly expanding cities. Bhatti participated in a high-level review meeting with BESCOM officials, where he was briefed on the Overhead (OH) to Underground (UG) Power Conversion Project — considered one of the most comprehensive in India.
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Project Highlights and Achievements
The BESCOM project, launched in 2018–19, has successfully converted over 7,400 kilometers of 11kV OH lines and thousands of kilometers of low-tension lines into underground or aerial bunched (AB) cables. A major innovation includes the simultaneous laying of Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) ducts alongside UG cables, creating a future revenue stream through telecom leasing.
Key Discussions with Telangana Officials
Top Telangana officials, including Krishna Bhaskar (CMD, TRANSCO) and Musharraf Faruqi (CMD, SPDCL), joined the discussions. Bhatti raised several queries regarding the project’s financial structuring — which includes funding from ADB, REC, and other public sector banks — and its impact on reducing technical losses and electrical accidents, which BESCOM reported had dropped by up to 2%.
OFC and System Reliability Insights
On the commercial readiness of OFC infrastructure, BESCOM stated that ducts have been laid, but last-mile coordination with telecom firms and BBMP is still underway. The discussion also covered the importance of Ring Main Units (RMUs) in ensuring system reliability and reducing service disruptions.
Field Visit to Malleshwaram Pilot Site
Later in the day, the Deputy CM visited a pilot UG network at 15th Cross, Malleshwaram. The site featured a fully buried Distribution Transformer (DTR) system with accessible maintenance at street level — a setup that enhances safety and conserves urban space.
On-Site Interaction and Future Outlook
Bhatti Vikramarka interacted with engineers and contractors at the field site, reviewing safety protocols, load balancing strategies, and emergency repair mechanisms. He emphasized the relevance of these innovations for Telangana’s urban centers, especially under the state’s Future City grid modernization program.
The visit concluded with Bhatti expressing admiration for the execution discipline of the Bengaluru model and underlining the need to integrate these best practices into Telangana’s infrastructure planning.
