Tangedco to lay UG cables around two major temples

CHENNAI: Tangedco is all set to take up the conversion of the overhead power lines into underground (UG) cables in Nellaiyappar temple in Tirunelveli and Andal temple in Srivilliputhur to avoid incidents of electrocution during the temple car festival.

According to Tangedco officials, conversion of existing overhead high-tension and low-tension lines to underground cable on the four-car street of Nellaiyapparl temple.

At Andal temple in Srivilliputhur town in Virudhunagar district, the official said that conversion of overhead LT line into underground cable in 11 KV Andal temple feeder and Bazaar feeder fed from 110/11 KV Srivilliputhur substation in west and south car streets of the Srivilliputhur temple. Tangedco has floated a separate tender for UG cable conversion work in the two temple car streets.

The conversion of the overhead cables in UG cables in the two temples was part of the then electricity minister V Senthilbalaji’s announcement in the Assembly on April 12 that to avoid electrocution and to provide uninterrupted power supply.

He had announced that the utility would take up conversion works in ten temples including Sriranganathar temple, Srirangam, Koniamman temple, Coimbatore, Lingeshwarar temple, Avinashi, Subramaniya Swamy temple, Thiruparankundram, Ardhanareeswarar temple, Tiruchengode, Kalyana Venkataramana Swamy temple, Karur, Ekambareswarar temple, Varadharaja Perumal temple and Kanchi Kamachi Amman temple in Kancheepuram.

The UG cable proposal was mooted after the tragic electrocution of a temple car in Thanjavur killing 11 people in 2022.

A Tangedco memo had urged the chief engineers of regions — Tirunelveli, Tiruchy, Coimbatore, Madurai, Karur and Kancheepuram to furnish a sketch showing existing overhead lines and proposed underground cables.