Power outage in Dehradun for hours as 3 transformers develop snags

DEHRADUN: Scores of residential colonies in the city were plunged into darkness for several hours on Sunday night after three transformers at 132KV sub-stations in Majra developed a technical snag.
Sources said that the power supply was restored by Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PTCUL) officials around midnight.
According to PTCUL officials, three transformers of 40 MW each had developed snags for the first time.PTCUL managing director Sandeep Singhal said, “We have ordered an inquiry to find out how all the three transformers tripped at once. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the circuit breaker of one transformer was damaged which caused problems in the others as well.” He added that the damaged circuit breakers have been replaced to ensure that such incidents don’t occur again.
Repeated power outages in the recent days have once again put the limelight on the quality of transformers procured by PTCUL.
In the last three days, four transformers have developed snags.
On Friday, another transformer at Jhajra sub-station had developed a similar snag. PTCUL officials are claiming that they are probing the faults of transformers. Anand Singh, a resident of Majra, said, “Three transformers have developed snags simultaneously at a sub-station. This puts question mark on the quality of the transformers and the maintenance by PTCUL. They should launch a probe.”
Acting on the complaints of faults in transformers at a Jhajra sub-station, PTCUL had initiated a departmental probe, after which 11 officials have come under scanner. PTCUL sources said that only four are likely to face action.
Sunil Gupta, another resident, said, “A judicial inquiry should be ordered to get to the bottom of the issue of sub-standard transformers.”