Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum Northern Region, Kozhikode
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
CONSUMER GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL FORUM NORTHERN REGION, KOZHIKODE. (Formed under Section 42(5) of Electricity Act 2003) Vydyuthibhavan, Gandhi Road, Kozhikode -673011 Telephone Number -0495 2367820 [email protected] PRESENT BEENA GOPINATH. S : CHAIRPERSON LEKHA RANI R : MEMBER II OP No.133/2019-20 PETITIONER : Sri. Boya Ragavendra Kumar,Senior Divisional Electrical Engr/TRD, Southern Railway, Palakkad District-678002. RESPONDENTS : 1. The Deputy Chief Engineer, Electrical Circle, Kasaragod, Kasaragod District-671121. 2. The Deputy Chief Engineer, Transmission Circle, Kannur, ORDER Case of the Petitioner:- The petitioner, Sri. Boya Ragavendra Kumar, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer, Southern Railway, Palakkad district complaints that unreliable power supply situation at Railway Traction Sub-station, Uppala cause immense difficulties in day today hassle free train movements. As a part of electrification of Shoranur-Mangalore section of Palakkad Division of Southern Railway, a 25 KV Railway Traction Sub Station at Uppala was commissioned on 12.01.2018 with a CMD of 5000KVA. Though there was a proposal to enhance the existing CMD of 5000 KVA to 7000 KVA, KSEB did not accept the application owing to inadequate capacity of KSEB sub station and permitted the Railways to extend supply from Cheruvathur Railway Traction Sub Station up to Uppala. The in coming supply of Uppala Railway Traction Sub Station is fed from 110KV KSEB Sub Station at Kubanoor. During load condition, the incoming 110 KV supply at Uppala is failing frequently due to overload tripping at Manjeswaram Sub Station which is feeding to Kubanoor. It is understood that the OCR setting of the Kubanoor Traction Feeder is 200 Amps where as that of Manjeswaram is 150 Amps only (150A for both domestic and Traction load) Even though the KSEB authorities are claiming that their supply system has been strengthened, there has been no reduction at all noticed in the supply failure and interruptions to railway traction supply to Uppala. Copy of the failures is enclosed for reference. It is to be pointed out that in order to avail EB supply, Railways have paid an initial deposit of Rs1,90,26,000.00 as security deposit. Railway is also incurring on an average a monthly expenditure of Rs44.64 lakhs towards EHT bills which is of recurring nature, The total expenditure so far for EHT bills right from commissioning of the sub station works out to Rs11.16 crore approximately. 2 Since commissioning of this sub station, Railways have faced only bitter experience due to frequent supply interruptions and major shutdowns for hours/days together by EB. It appears that there is no useful benefit for the Railways to maintain this Sub Station even after spending huge amount of public money. As explained earlier, inadequate current seting at EB Sub station is the cause of such continuous tripping and power supply interruptions. If the EB setting is not revised to match Railways’ requirements, the unreliable power situation will continue causing disruption to train services and inconvenience to travelling public. The above subject was discussed several times with EB officials but there has been no action from EB side to improve the situation. The purpose of a Railway traction sub station is to run the trains on AC traction and if EB cannot supply reliable power, the very objective of having set up a sub station by spending hefty amount of public money is defeated. Railways also cannot revert back to diesel traction any more as a part of policy of withdrawal of diesel traction from service. Environmental concern will become another issue for reintroduction of diesel traction. The much demanded MEMU Passenger services also cannot be introduced in the near future due to extremely pathetic power supply situation. It is further pointed out that KSEB is also resorting to arbitrarily switching off of Railway feeders without getting concurrence from Railways, for example, on 04.2.2020, power shut down was requested by KSEB on Railway feeder of Cheruvathur Traction Sub station from 11.00 to 12.00 hours for maintenance of 110 KV CT at CT at EB Sub Station, Kanhangad. On 04.2.2020 at 10.50 hours KSEB officials contacted Traction power controller but without waiting for concurence from Railways, supply was switched off. Even though KSEB was requested for 20 minutes considering the fact that express trains are running in the section, no heed was paid to Railway’s request and acted on their own way which appears to be not correct. This has 3 caused detention to several express trains running in the section. Railways do not expect such arbitrary actions from KSEB, which always go against public interest. It would have been kept in mind the Railway is a bulk consumer and always prompt in making the payments to KSEB. It is requested to kindly intervene on the matter and necessary action may be taken to redress the Railways’ grievances. It may kindly be further brought out that if the situation of power supply is not improved, Railways will be constrained to regulate certain services which will go against public interest. Version by the Respondent: - It is true that traction substation Uppala was commissioned on 12/01/2018 with CMD of 5000kVA. During the month of January 2020, M/s. Railway submitted request to enhance the CMD from 5000kVA to 8000kVA and the same is under the scrutiny of KSEBL. At present, Kasaragod area have severe transmission corridor conjunction in both intra state and interstate feeders. The traction Substation Uppala is fed from 110kV Substation Kubanoor which is supplied through 110kV single circuit line 110kV Mylatty- Vidyanagar-Kubanoor-Manjeswaram-Konaje line. KSEBL has taken action to convert SC line to double circuit line for catering the load demand of whole district. As part of the above work, 110kV line doubling work from Vidyanagar to Konaje (upto KSEB jurisdiction) is completed during 02/2020. 110kV double circuit construction of Mylatty-Vidyanagar line with MCMV is already awarded on turn key basis. The existing single circuit line from Mylatty to Vidyanagar is drawn with Tiger conductor with current limit of 300A. This line is feeding the entire northern Kasaragod area including the TSS Uppala. Moreover the alternate source to Kubanoor substation is from 110kV substation Manjeswaram which is fed through 110KV sub station Konaje owned by KPTCL. The load limit of this feeding from KPTCL is 23MW with current limit of 121A. The present load demand of Northern Kasaragod area including M/s Railway is found beyond the available capacity and the 4 system exercises severe constraints. Hence the request for enhancement of CMD can be considered based on these facts only. It is true that TSS Uppala is fed from 110kV Substation Kubanoor and the source is from KPTCL owned 110kV Substation Konaje with permissinle feeder current limit 121A. The KPTCL co ordinated the relay setting with 200A with lower TMS of 0.075 which means that with a minor change of overload say at 5%, the feeder will trip within 7.24 sec and for an over load at 10%, the feeder will trip within 5.5 sec at Konaje Substation. Once the feeder trips, re energisation require permission from SREB which will take much time. During this time Manjeswaram and Kubanoor and Traction substations will be under total black out. In regard of this, we have to limit the current setting of the relay installed at Manjeswaram and Kubanoor without affecting KSEBL protection standards. The normal KSEB load at Manjeswaram substation is between 50-60A and at Kubanoor is between 45 to 55A. So the two stations together consume load between 95 to 115A. Even though the railways have the CMD of 5000kVA single phase load, with a max load current of 45A drawing against the contract demand of 26A, they draw momentary over loads during traffic conjunctions and this load exceeds much beyond the CMD sometimes upto 120A. When the total load demand increases beyond the permissible current limit of interstate feeder, there is a greater chance to trip the feeder. Since M/s Railway is not maintaining the grid discipline, it leads to interruption of seven substation of KSEBL, creating total black out of those areas. Based only on request from M/s. Railsways, KSEBL provided over current setting at Kubanoor with 200A taking into consideration of momentary overloads which is also the maximum permitted as per Supply Code 2014 (1.5times the maximum demand). It is only a concession granted to M/s. Railway for maintaing public transport system. The relay at Manjeswaram for 110kV Manjeswaram-Kubanoor feeder is set at 165A with TMS 0.075 which is already above the permissible current limit of interstate feeder. Hence it is not possible to increase the relay setting at Manjeswaram till KSEBL’s planned work of doubling of 110kV Mylatty- 5 Vidyanagar feeder is completed or getting additional power from KPTCL. Hence the complaint raised by M/s. Railway is not sustainable. It is true that, KSEBL has strengthened the supply system from Vidyabagar to Konaje and balance work from Mylatty to Vidyanagar is planned to complete by August 2020. The failure of traction supply happened due to undisciplined grid management M/s Railways and lack of alternate sources from Karnataka. Hence the allegation is not sustainable. It is true that, KSEBL has strengtherned the supply system from Vidyanagar to Konaje and balance work from Mylatty to Vidyanagar is planned to complete by August 2020. The failure of traction supply happened due to undisciplined grid management M/s. Railways and lack of alternate sources from Karnataka. Hence the allegation is not sustainable. It is true that railway deposited amount for infrastructure development for the construction of TSS and line by which they are availing traction facility.