Delhi CM launches hotline maintenance vehicle to ensure electrical repairs without outages

New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday launched Delhi's first hotline maintenance vehicle capable of carrying out electrical repairs without requiring a supply shutdown.

She announced that similar machines will be deployed across the city.

Speaking at the launch of the vehicle in her Shalimar Bagh Assembly constituency, she said the machine, worth Rs 1.5 crore, will ensure that residents face no inconvenience during repairs of electrical faults.

"Delhi government plans to have these hotline maintenance vehicles for the entire city," Gupta said.

The vehicle has been procured by the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), a discom that supplies power in North Delhi.

The vehicle will enable maintenance teams to perform live-line maintenance without the need to shut off power. It's a pioneering initiative being introduced in the country for the first time, the TPDDL said in a statement.

It also comes with an Insulated Aerial Boom (Crane) for facilitating access to overhead lines while maintaining safe electrical isolation, a non-conductive work platform fibreglass bucket ensuring technician safety during live-line operations.

The vehicle is equipped to perform critical tasks such as replacing insulators and conductors, repairing jumper connections and connectors, and pruning trees near energised lines, all while maintaining an uninterrupted electricity supply.

Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood, who was present at the launch event, said people had to endure hours-long shutdowns for power line repairs earlier, but the hotline maintenance vehicles will eliminate this problem.

The chief minister also inaugurated the underground electrical network project.

Under the project, the 33 KV overhead conductor was replaced with underground cables from Shalimar Bagh Khosla Grid to Netaji Subhash Place Circuit.

Regarding the ongoing work of shifting overhead electrical lines, Gupta said her government aims to expand the project in other parts of the city, especially in Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazar.

The primary objective of the project is to enhance public safety and network reliability of supply by replacing the over 40-year-old overhead conductor and rail poles with underground cables. PTI VIT ANM ANM MPL MPL