Visakhapatnam: In a significant development, tenders for the Phase-I of underground cabling of the electricity department will be called on July 15. The World Bank is funding the Discom’s underground cabling project under the AP Disaster Recovery Project (ADRP) at a cost of Rs 720 crore.
Work in the first phase will be taken up at a cost of Rs 239 crore. Phase-I will see underground cabling done in areas like MVP Colony, Peda Waltair, KGH area, RCD Hospital area, Siripuram and Sivajipalem that come under around six sub-stations. About 37 km of 33KV lines, 83 km of 11KV lines, and 160 km of low tension wires will be laid underground under the Phase-I.
A team from the World Bank met district collector Dr N. Yuvaraj and GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar to discuss the project on Thursday.
“Digging the roads for laying the underground cables and then restoring them will be done by the GVMC’s engineering department. Bids for project work under the Phase-I will also have digging and restoration work. We hope that the work will be given out by August and completed, as scheduled, within 18 months,” said district collector Dr N. Yuvaraj.
The World Bank has agreed to extend financial assistance to the underground cabling project. Besides serving an aesthetic purpose, the project is aimed at reducing the distribution network’s vulnerability to natural disasters. A team from the APEPDCL visited Kolkata recently to study the underground cabling project there.
The proposed Project Development Objective (PDO) of the World Bank’s ADRP is to restore and improve rural connectivity, public services and livelihood opportunities in targeted communities of AP and increase the capacity of the state entities to respond promptly and effectively to a potential crisis or emergency.
