BESCOM

The Managing Director of BESCOM, Mr Manivannan, has been spearheading a movement on FaceBook, to bring various facets of this hitherto opaque Government organization to the public. Various initiatives have been launched, and the latest is his attempt to describe how electricity makes it into our homes from where it is generated. Here is the process, in his own words: HOW does electricity, generated at the Raichur Thermal Power Plant (RTPS) come to your home in Bangalore? It's interesting and important to know how electricity reaches your home. It may explain you why the supply is cut off at times,…

I've been interacting, on FaceBook, with the MD of BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Corporation), Mr Manivannan (though our interaction is not mainly on civic issues..he's quite a poet!). I have been getting the sense that he's shaking up this behemoth and making them more accountable and user-friendly.I realized that if I was going to be away for a long time, I could ask for minimum billing on my apartment. I wrote to the contact email (Ms Jayanathi) on the BESCOM website...and promptly got a return email from her, telling me whom I had to contact, and the phone nos...and additional…

In the last few years, quite a few individual residents in Bangalore have installed solar panels on their rooftops, that produce electricity to power their homes. A small number of these people have also connected their solar systems to the BESCOM grid and there are many others who would like to so too.What is Solar Power?Photovoltaic (PV) panels are ones in which the main operating elements are semiconductor materials like Silicon. When sunlight strikes these panels, electric power output is created which is Direct Current (DC power), like that of a battery. To run home electric equipments, one option would…

For over a month, there have been reports about power shortage in the city. Early October, BESCOM had contemplated power cuts for industries, but later changed the plan when rains started.Currently, the city has shortage of around 100 MW daily, which is only less than 5% of its total requirement, says P Manivannan, MD of BESCOM [1]. The shortage for entire BESCOM area is upto 600 MW. Manivannan says, "The shortage cannot be quantified, but varies from 0-600 MW through the day depending on wind and other sources. We are able to handle it, and are not contemplating any load…

On 3rd June, Sunday afternoon two people pretending to be BESCOM officials talked R Nagarajan and his wife Swarnalatha, residents of  BTM second stage, into buying fake CFL bulbs. R Nagarajan and his wife Swarnalatha. Pic: Abhishek Angad According to Nagarajan, one of the posers identified himself as a Junior Engineer, Srinivas. The poser then convinced Nagarajan that BESCOM was distributing CFL lamps to senior citizens to use in place of the regular incandescent bulbs. Fake CFL bulbs. Pic: Abhishek Angad Nagarajan says, “they gave us 12 lamps for free and another 12 for the cost of Rs 2400, which…

 Prashanth Nuggehalli Srinivas writes on Facebook:   "Bangalorean friends - For sometime, I have been following MD Bescom. You will be amazed at how Manivannan, the present MD has used facebook to provide an open platform to directly address queries to him. Indeed, the same person who put up a live video feed of his office to make an example of transparency in public service and the also the same officer who in his earlier assignment used to personally supervise medical audits of infant and maternal deaths.Just reading the exchanges on his wall is so informative. An amazing initiative by a…

There will be no power supply from 11 am to 3 pm on April 26th, Thursday, in the following areas of NRS 66/11KV MUSS, 66/11KV A Station, 66/11KV Victoria Hospital MUSS, 66/11KV Chandra Layout MUSS, 66/11KV Telecom Layout MUSS, 66/11KV Vijajnagar MUSS and 66/11KV Brigade Gate Way.Affected areas:1) NRS MUSS: All Blocks of Rajajinagar, Mahalakshmi Layout, Gayatri Nagar, Prakash Nagar, Lakshminarayanpura, Srirampura, Amarajyothi Nagar, Bapuji Layout, Marenahalli, Okalaipuram, BWSSB HT, Shankar Mutt Circle, Manjunathnagar all Phases, LICColony, Magadi Main Road, Agrahara Dasarahalli, KHB Colony, Basveshwara Nagar, Thimmaiah Layout.2) A Station MUSS: Anand Rao Circle, Binny Mills, Railway Station, Cottonpet, Akkipet,…

1) There will be no power supply from 7 am to 9 pm on April 20th, Friday, and from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm on April 21st, Saturday, in the following areas of 66/11KV Austin Town MUSS and 66/11KV NGV Koramangala MUSS.Affected areas under 66/11KV Austin Town MUSS: Victoria Layout Palm Grove Road, Linden Street, Austin Town, Vannarpet, Sonnenahally, Vivek Nagar, Maya Bazaar, Ayappa Temple Block, Xavier Layout, Rudrappa Garden, Ukada Palya, Jairaj Nagar, Neelasandra, Grape Garden, Richmond Town, Philimina Hospital, KSRP Quarters, Anjeneya Temple Street, BWSSB Water Supply Camel Road, Cement Line, Neelasandra Parrpa Garden, Munegowda Garden, Aneplaya Area,…

There will be no power supply from 10 am to 5 pm on April 19th, Thursday, in the following areas of 66/11KV Naganathapura MUSS.Affected areas are Bande Palya, Singasandra, GB Palya, Kudlu Gate, AECS Layout A and B Block, Hongasandra, Cikka Begur Gate, Chikka Thogur village, Basapura village, Symphone Apartment, Naganathapura village, Meenakshi Layout, Central Jail (HT), Hosur Main Road, and surroundings. ⊕

There will be intermittent power supply (about 43%) from 10 am to 5 pm on March 31st, Saturday, in the following areas of 220/66/11KV Somanahalli MUSS, 220/66/11KV Subramanyapura MUSS, 220/66/11KV Naganathapura MUSS, 220/66/11KV Vrushabhavathi MUSS, 220/66/11KV HSR Layout MUSS and 220/66/11KV Yerandanahalli MUSS, to carry out maintenance works.Areas affected:1) Kumbalgodu: Ramohalli, Malligondanahalli, Maragandanhalli, BGS, Kengeri Satellite Town.2) Kengeri Satellite Town: New KHB Suncity, Komghatta, Apporva Layout.3) Sir MV Layout: Bhuvaneshwari Nagara, Maruthinagar.4) RBI: Arekere, Sarvabouma Nagar, MICO Layout, Kothanur.5) South City: Hulimavu, Ramanasri Nagar, Tejaswi Nagar, L&T South City, MS Ramaiah City.6) Elita Promanade: Puttenahalli, KR Layout, JP Nagar 6th…