Kanchi District Rises in Industrial Growth

Chennai: The number of high-tension (HT) industrial power connections in Kanchipuram district has crossed 1,000, after Chennai and Coimbatore, a major indication that it is rapidly emerging as the third most industrialised district in Tamil Nadu.

HT power connections are required for large-scale industries, and it is a major indicator of industrialisation. The number of high voltage power connections in Kanchipuram district crossed 1,000 by the end of 2024 and reached 1,200 connections by 2025. This is the highest number of high-voltage electricity connections after Chennai and Coimbatore.

Chennai crossed 1,000 in the number of HT industrial power connections six years ago. Though the addition of connections slowed down during the Covid-19 pandemic, it picked up after 2021 and reached 1,409 by March 2023 itself.

The industrial growth of Coimbatore, too, slowed down during the pandemic and the number of high-power connections reached 1,381 by March 2023. In the same year, the number of high-voltage connections in Kanchipuram was only 860.

However, the requirement of HT power connections in Kanchipuram district went up in 2024, compared to Chennai and Coimbatore. In March 2024, the number of high-power connections in Chennai went up to 1,425 and that of Coimbatore, to 1,405.

Kanchipuram witnessed a requirement of 225 connections at the same time and suddenly crossed the mark of 1,000 high-voltage connections. The number of additional connections seen by Chennai and Coimbatore is far less, compared to Kanchipuram district.

There are several industrial zones in Kanchipuram district, including Sriperumbudur, Irungattukottai, Padappai and Oragadam. The number of HT industrial connections is growing due to the rise in the setting up of industries.

Besides providing HT power connections, the electricity department in Kanchipuram district has started work to separate the power lines for households and agriculture, since heavy load in a single line results in power outages and ruins electrical equipment.

The Union government provided Rs. 70 crore to complete the project three years ago, and the process of separation of lines has started in the entire district. The officials are planning to complete the project by 2027.

There are four electricity divisions in Kanchipuram - Kanchipuram North, Kanchipuram South, Tiruvallur and Tiruttani.

In the 54 sub-stations, there are more than 2.5 lakh electricity connections. The power cables carrying electricity for consumers are the same for domestic consumers, business establishments, companies and agricultural lands.

When the power lines for all the sectors are the same, they are heavily loaded, resulting in power outages. During power cuts, farmers are unable to use motors of pumpsets and irrigation work gets affected till the power lines are restored.

Similarly, the domestic consumers, industries and commercial complexes are affected due to the overloading.