The state is set to get 900MW additional power this summer but people in the city would hardly be benefited.

Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (PESU), entrusted with catering to the city’s urban area, was supposed to complete the maintenance and strengthening of distribution network before Holi but it is yet to be completed. With the onset of summer, the load increases significantly with ACs and fans being switched on for most part of the day.

South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (SBPDCL), which covers PESU under its jurisdiction, took several steps to strengthen the distribution network in the capital. These steps included replacement of faulty and dilapidated lines replacing the over-loaded transformers, load balancing of transformers, enhancing their capacities and installing additional ones, installing separators, AB (air break) switches, increasing the capacity of power sub-stations, expediting the drive to check electricity theft, pruning trees and branches among others. PESU has taken several measures mentioned above to strengthen the distribution network in view of the likely increased power availability this summer.

The Telegraph on Wednesday reported that the state’s power distribution companies would get around 900MW additional supply at their disposal to meet the entire energy requirement this summer. “We have initiated a number of measures to provide uninterrupted power supply to the people in Patna. We just need to speed up all these measures probably before the end of April,” a PESU official said on condition of anonymity.

But there are certain things which PESU is yet to start like maintenance of Jakkanpur power sub-station, which supplies power to 16 other sub-stations in the city. Pruning of tree branches, which might fall on the lines leading to breakdown, and more than half of the old and dilapidated 3,000km of wires are yet to be replaced in the capital.