Report of Indian Institute of Public Administration ... - Ministry of Power

Maharashtra
relief is the participative spirit of people from rural area to ensure that this important
service of electricity supply caters to their needs and is controlled by them.
In future, APY villages should be considered for additional fiscal support vis-à-vis
non-APY villages. This participative spirit of rural consumers is a treasure and no
effort should be spared in protecting the same against all odds.
Gaothan Feeder Separation Scheme
Another scheme, which can help reduce the peak demand, is ‘gaothan feeder
separation scheme’. In this scheme the feeder supplying energy to a composite load
comprising of agricultural pumps and the nearby village is separated by provision of a
separate feeder for supplying energy to the village and retaining the existing feeder
only for supplying the agricultural pumps. This can help in reducing the peak demand
if the agricultural feeder could be switched on for a period of say 8-10 hours during
defined off-peak period and could be switched off during peak-hours.
Such assured supply of electricity for pumping though only in off-peak hours, should
be acceptable to farmers than uncertainty of supply. Also conservation of available
water will in future be an important aspect, that will dictate the need for limiting the
hours of agricultural pumping and such schemes will certainly be required then.
The energy consumption in the gaothan feeder will show considerable growth and
since this consumption is metered it will bring additional revenue to the utility. In
selecting schemes for separation of gaothan feeder, priority should be given where the
agricultural pumping load on the composite feeder is high, the length of the resultant
gaothan feeder after separation is comparatively small.
Besides the above, MSEDCL has launched a Ten-Point Action Plan, specifying
programmes under each point, to improve the working of the company. The results of
these actions are expected to start becoming visible from the end of this year.
Reduction in T&D losses
Various steps are taken by MSEDCL for reducing distribution losses, like additions to
the high voltage lines and sub-stations, improving HT: LT ratio, check on theft of
electricity, fixing of electronic time of day meters on HT connections, adding fixed
and switched capacitors, etc. Monthly energy audit is carried out in respect of
distribution transformer centres (DTCs) (for which energy meters are fixed), express
feeders, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) areas, etc.
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