The 'hot line' wing of the KSEB repaired a 220 kV high-tension power line near Sabarigiri without switching off the power, ensuring uninterrupted supply to the whole of central Kerala.Kottayam: If you are reading this page from somewhere in central Kerala, you have these men to thank. You owe the light on your screen, and your home, to these daredevils.
The “hot line” wing of the Kerala State Electricity Board repaired a 220 kV high-tension power line near Sabarigiri without switching off the power on Friday, ensuring uninterrupted supply to the whole of central Kerala and avoiding significant transmission loss for the board.
The high-risk job was performed by the special team formed in 2015. The Kalamassery-based team members had been trained in Bengaluru.
They reached Sabarigiri on Friday with special safety equipment imported from Brazil. Their task was to repair the disc insulator that connects the electricity line to the tower. The line between Sabarigiri and Pallam runs through tower number 185 at Panachikkad.
The team evaluated all safety arrangements before they took on the dangerous assignment. The Moozhiyar line maintenance team supported the crack team with all facilities to deal with any emergency.
The 10 men from Kalamassery, led by assistant engineers P.A. Mukundan and Cyril Kallupurakkal, set their equipment that allows them to work six to seven feet away from the power line. Then they removed the faulty disc insulator with special tools and fitted the new one. The job lasted for four hours but the power supply was not even interrupted for a minute.
The team received a standing ovation from their colleagues and the people in the area.
The team relied on the “hot stick” method to get the job done, without having to come in contact with the power line in any way. Usually, such repair is done only after disconnecting the power supply.
The weather was also on the side of the team.
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