Delhi: BSES sets up war rooms, QRTs for monsoon-related exigencies
New Delhi, July 8
BSES on Tuesday said it has activated its monsoon preparedness plan and issued a safety advisory for consumers, outlining measures to ensure reliable power supply and minimise rain-related disruptions across its distribution areas in the national capital.
BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) said their monsoon action plan follows an integrated and proactive approach aimed at ensuring consumer safety and reducing downtime arising from heavy rainfall and waterlogging.
A BSES official said the discoms were fully geared to ensure reliable power supply to over 54 lakh consumers and more than 2.25 crore residents while taking all necessary safety measures during the monsoon.
"Consumers, too, have an important role to play in ensuring an incident-free season by following simple safety guidelines. We urge all residents to stay alert, exercise caution around electrical installations and report any safety hazards promptly," the official said.
The power distribution companies said preventive measures had been undertaken to minimise moisture-related breakdowns, including raising the foundation height of transformers in low-lying areas, preventing waterlogging and moisture ingress in switchgear, and ensuring proper fencing around transformers. They added that Quick Response Teams had been deployed, war rooms set up for complaint monitoring and a consumer awareness campaign launched on monsoon safety precautions.
BSES said power supply may be switched off proactively in vulnerable or waterlogged areas as a precautionary measure to safeguard lives and prevent damage to electrical equipment.
Advising consumers to exercise caution, BSES urged people to maintain a safe distance from electricity poles, substations, transformers and other electrical installations, avoid waterlogged areas near electrical infrastructure, get internal wiring inspected by licensed electrical contractors and switch off the main supply in case of waterlogging or leakage.
The discoms also cautioned against power theft through hooking, saying it poses a serious safety hazard during the monsoon as illegally drawn wires can fall during rain or strong winds, leading to injuries or fatalities. They further warned that unplanned digging for road repairs or laying cables and pipelines near electrical infrastructure could disrupt power supply and pose safety risks.
BSES appealed to consumers to promptly report fallen cables, damaged poles, exposed wiring and other electrical emergencies through its call centres, WhatsApp services and mobile applications.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the safety advisory, but does BSES really have enough resources? In my area (East Delhi), we still face frequent voltage fluctuations during rains. Raising transformer foundation heights is good, but what about the old overhead lines that often snap? Real testing will be when the first heavy downpour hits. Let's see if the war rooms actually work!
This proactive approach is welcome. As someone living in a low-lying area near the Yamuna, we've seen transformers get submerged in past monsoons. BSES cutting power proactively in vulnerable zones is sensible—better safe than sorry. Also impressed they mentioned WhatsApp and mobile apps for complaints. At least they're trying to be tech-savvy. But please ensure street-level staff are trained to handle emergencies!
It's good they're doing pre-monsoon checks, but I wish they also fixed the root cause—poor drainage around substations. In Okhla, we see waterlogging every year near the grid station. Also, why don't they install more underground cabling? Overhead lines are a mess. However, the safety guidelines for consumers are important. Everyone should get wiring checked by licensed contractors before rains intensify. Common sense! 😊
Finally, some sensible planning from a discom! Setting up QRTs and war rooms is necessary because last monsoon, we waited 4 hours for a fallen wire to be fixed. But let's be real—will these teams be available 24/7? Also, people need to stop digging near electrical infrastructure without coordination. That's a major hazard. Kudos for addressing power theft via hooking too. I've seen illegal connections that are downright dangerous during storms.
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