To electrify 4,000-hectare Maha Kumbh mela site, 85 sub-stations installed

Eight-five sub-stations have been installed to illuminate the Maha Kumbh area spread over more than 4,000 hectares, officials said. The officials concerned have estimated the electricity consumption during the 45-day event at Rs 30 crore. Nearly 2 lakh units of electricity will be consumed daily, they added.

As many as 52,000 electric poles, 70,000 LED lights and 2,016 solar hybrid lights have been installed in the area. The solar hybrid lights, placed along the main roads, are programmed to automatically turn on in the evening and off in morning.

Besides illuminating the common area, the department will also provide lighting to makeshift residential set-ups and shops at the mela site.

Around 1.6 lakh tents and 50,000 shops will come up for the event, said an official.

“According to our estimate, electricity worth around Rs 30 crore will be consumed during the mega event,” said Maha Kumbh Superintendent Engineer Manoj Gupta.

To ensure an uninterrupted power supply, more than 5000 personnel, including executive engineers, sub-divisional officers, and junior engineers, from the electricity department and additional ad hoc staff have been deployed.

According to a power department official, the electrification of the Kumbh area began in October.

“Electricity for the mela is being sourced from existing powerhouses located near the riverbanks in Prayagraj. Fifteen switchgear units have been set up to ensure that in the event of a fault in an electrical line, the supply is immediately transferred to an alternate line within a few minutes,” said Gupta.

While shops in the Maha Kumbh area will be charged with commercial electricity rates, all other set-ups, including tents and akharas, will receive power free of cost.

Of the 312 transformers to be installed in the area, 14 will supply power to akharas, which have also been provided with underground wiring.
The department claims to have collected around Rs 5 crore from business establishments for providing power connections so far.

Pilgrims have started arriving in Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh which will commence on January 13 and culminate on February 26.

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