Dhaka’s overhead power cables finally to go underground

Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) has finally completed its design and plan to implement its proposed underground cabling project to make the city free from overhead power cables.
Under the project, 90 kms of overhead electricity cables, an eyesore in the city, will be taken underground, DPDC officials said.
Of these, about 115 kms are of 11 kV overhead lines, and 75 kms are 0.4 kV lines, they said adding that all kinds of overhead electric cables will go underground and no cable will remain visible in a particular part of Dhanmondi area that includes Satmasjid Road, Mirpur Road, City College and Greenherald School area.
"Now, we're hopeful of starting ground breaking the project by September-October this year," Bikash Dewan told UNB.
"Already, some of the equipment reached the country and some are on the way," he said adding that pole-mounted transformers will be replaced with box-type transformers under the project under the project.
Some 36 box-types transformers, 296 of 6-way ring main units (RMU), 34 of 3-way RMUs and 130 LV Cabinet will be installed to facilitate the underground cabling system, Bikash Dewan.     
DPDC officials said the project was supposed to kick off in January last year. But the Chinese engineers who were responsible for designing the works got stuck in their hometown Wuhan following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
But they later returned to Dhaka and got engaged in the project after the improvement in the coronavirus situation both in China and Bangladesh.   
The DPDC undertook a Power Distribution System upgrading project to improve its network and system in its command area in Dhaka city and signed a contract with the Chinese contractor TBEA in September in 2019  to implement the China-funded Tk 20,500 crore mega project.
Under the project, 40 substations will be set up in the city while overhead cables of Hatirjheel Lake and Dhanmondi residential areas will be laid underground over the next five years.
Taking overhead cables underground from Jahangir gate in Cantonment to Motijheel is also included in DPDC's other similar project.    -UNB