Bescom switches to insulated cables around schools, colleges for safety

Bengaluru: Aiming to improve safety of students around schools and colleges, Bescom has converted 738.5 km of power lines to Aerial Bundled (AB) cables and another 738.1 km of lines to covered conductors in the last few years.

Many more hazardous locations have been identified and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) is in the process of converting another 200 to 300 km of lines to AB cables or covered conductors in the coming days.

The initiative has been taken up around government schools, colleges and hostels since these areas are said to be sensitive and see heavy footfall. It was, therefore, important to prevent electrical accidents.

AB cables have multiple layers of insulation bundled together to avoid electrical accidents and covered conductors insulate the power lines to prevent any accidents when people come in contact with the lines.

While a majority of the power lines in Bengaluru have been converted to either underground lines or AB cables, it is not the case in other areas such as Tumakuru, Magadi and Nelamangala, which fall under the Bescom jurisdiction.

"Taking up underground cabling or AB bundled cabling in areas outside Bengaluru is not financially viable. However, it is important that we also consider the safety in areas with high footfall, especially those around schools and colleges. Hence, those spots have been specially identified and action is being taken,” a Bescom official explained.

According to data by Bescom, in Bengaluru, close to 9,465 km of High Tension lines have so far been converted to underground cables and close to 7,870 km of Low Tension (LT) lines have been converted to Aerial Bundled cables.

While the aim of the project is to ensure the safety of children, it comes with a host of other advantages, Bescom officials said. Conversion into AB cables will bring down power disruptions and increase reliability of power supply. That apart, it brings down distribution losses, according to officials.