BESCOM

Power shut down on 11 KV Mathikere MUSS F6 Feeder on 2nd February between 10 am and 4 pm for doing distribution automation system work in the following areas:• Mathikere MUSS F6 Feeder: KM Extn, Yeshwanthpura 1st main road, Gokula, Mathikere, HMT main road.Power shut down on 66/11 KV Mathikere MUSS of F7 and F2 Feeder on 4th February between 10 am and 3 pm for distribution auto mation system work in these areas:• Mathikere MUSS F7 Feeder areas: SBM Colony, M.R.K.Colony, AK Colony, Brundavan nagar.• Mathikere MUSS F2 Feeder areas: RK Garden, Sanjeevappa layout, LG Halli, Gowri apartment and…

After close to three years of delay, a 66 KVA substation will finally be constructed in Jaynagar 3rd Block by Karnatka Power Transmicssion Company Limited (KPTCL). The old BESCOM office in 3rd Block, near NMKRV Women's College will be demolished to make way for the substation. Proposed location for the substation in Jayanagar 3rd Block. Pic: Yogaraj S Mudalgi The contract for building the substation has been given to Godrej & Boyce, a Mumbai based contracting company and will be constructed at under Rs 20 crore. A J Hosamani, Chief Engineer (Tending and Procurement) attributed the delay to a dispute…

When summer starts, Bangaloreans face the prospect of power cuts. BESCOM makes no bones about the fact that it cannot provide electricity to its paying consumers the way it is supposed to do. But even after the monsoons set in, when the load is definitely lower, why does BESCOM resort to unsscheduled and long power cuts, without a word of warning, or apology? Can every consumer afford expensive UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) inverters?I see nothing in the newspapers or media about the pathetic service provided by this utility. They seem to take the consumers for granted. They charge higher and higher…

In the last one year - between April 2010 and March 2011 - 493 trees fell due to ‘natural causes' in Bengaluru, according to BBMP. In the same period, branches of another 728 trees fell. Mangled mess in a Koramangala park after a heavy downpour last week, with gusty winds. Pic: J Srinivasan. In addition to trees lost for road widening and infrastructure projects, why are we losing so many more? Urban ecologist and scholar Harini Nagendra, 39, says that urban trees generally have shorter life spans due to stress; this combined with unscientific trimming of trees, cementing of pavements…

Load shedding, the most dreaded word in summer isn't always because of power shortage. Most of it has got to do with overloaded distribution and supply lines. Here are some areas where BESCOM has identified issues and proposed solutions. This might help reduce power cuts in Bengaluru.BESCOM North ♦ There is load shedding in Platinum City, Yelahanka and Sahakaranagara as the cable size is small. The cables are overloaded and they can take maximum power of 40 MW only. The cable size has to be increased from these areas up to the sub-stations ♦ Byadarahalli MUSS and its lines are…

If you have been facing power cuts, blame it on the over-100-year-old power distribution system in Bengaluru, says P Manivannan, Managing Director at BESCOM. The issue is not power shortage, but poor infrastructure, he says. Manivannan, a 1998-batch IAS officer, took charge at BESCOM in October 2010. P Manivannan, MD, BESCOM Illustration: Sneha Prasad In the last few months, Manivannan has promised reforms such as sending SMS alerts on power cuts to consumers, publicizing power supply data etc. He is also the first BESCOM official to put up a camera in his chamber, which can be viewed live at the…

They persisted with what is right and have saved scores of Bengaluru's apartment associations lakhs of rupees in 2011. Arathi Manay Yajaman, 40, and O P Ramaswamy, 64, of JP Nagar challenged BESCOM's levy of penalties on their apartment complex and, despite being pushed around initially, won their case. BESCOM had penalised their apartment complex in August last year for not taking into account the building's fire safety equipment (pumps) as part of sanctioned electrical load. On January 12th, the Brigade Millennium Mayflower block residents association, represented by Arathi, received a letter from BESCOM, which in effect said BESCOM was…

The young and dynamic P Manivannan is currently Managing Director of BESCOM, Bengaluru's power supply provider. He took over in October 2010. Manivannan, 38, is a 1998-batch IAS officer and has served as Commissioner of Hubli-Dharwar Municipal Corporation and Deputy Commissioner of Mysore City Corporation. Media reporting of Manivannan's work has given him a reputation as a tough and upright officer in his previous postings; he has also been called ‘demolition man’ for his stand against illegal constructions. Citizen Matters caught up with Manivannan to discuss BESCOM's 2011 plans for Bengaluru. This interview was conducted via email. Is the rate…

So BESCOM wants us to pay 75 paise extra per unit of electricity consumed, as per its proposal. Some citizens are opposing this and registering their dissatisfaction, but the  majority of us apparently  can't be bothered or don't care, or  are not even aware of the proposal - the last, however, is no excuse because  the proposed hike has been in the news and the BESCOM authorities have also issued notices inviting reactions (and objections if any) from citizens. Three months ago, the Consumer Care Society of Banashankari bemoaned the fact that the initial announcement inviting citizens' comments, brought in…

The morning's paper said Bengaluru was "among the fastest growing cities in the world". On inside pages there were glowing accounts of Dasara celebrations, our 400-year-old tradition of Jambu savari, and the 150th anniversary of Sir Visweswariah. Reading all that felt good - and then my day began, with a bus ride, from Majestic to Jayanagar. I was Jayanagar-bound after a weekend in north Bengaluru, to pay my BESCOM bill for my flat in south Bengaluru, the last date for which was just a day away. Bus no. 2 that I waited for at Majestic (specifically so that I could…