Tribune News Service
Shimla, January 23
In 70°C temperature and a thick layer of carbon sprayed all over the power house, the team of engineers of HP State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL) today failed to inspect the multi-crore switch yard of the underground power house of 120 mw Sanjay Jalvidyut Pariyojna (SJP). The five-member team of superintending engineers, led by HPSEBL’s Chief Engineer, generation, BM Sood found that the Rs 1.5 crore transformer, that had caught fire yesterday at 3 am, had been reduced to a scrap heap. “We cannot assess the damage to the Rs 15 crore switch yard on the second floor of the site as temperature inside the hall is still more than 60°C at 6 pm, which was 70°C in the morning when the fire was finally doused around 7 am”, Sood told The Tribune at the power house. “The generators and turbines are safe and some tools and cables have been damaged”, he informed. There was a thick layer of carbon sprayed all over the power house, including turbines and generators and ceiling of the tunnel, the team members revealed. “We cannot recognise the tools and ceiling as it is like black snow inside here,” they remarked. More hazardous are the noxious fumes that emanate from the burning of the cables. It needs sophisticated masks and gears to go inside the pitch dark power house using torches and search lights as there is no light inside, the engineers revealed. “We will have to remove the carbon to assess the exact damage to the switch yard and the power house and the reason behind the blasting of the Germany-made bush of 10 MV transformer,” Sood said. “It will take more than a week to assess the total damage and we are trying to first restore power,” he added. The transformer was reconditioned on January 17 and put on load after two days, revealed the SJP engineers. “All transformers heat up but they need the anti-heating sprinkler to control temperature, but the board has not cleared the air as SJP has no fire tender,” the fire fighters rushed in from Nathpa Jhakhari and JP power projects said. HPSEBL’s managing director PC Negi said the five-member committee under Chief Engineer, generation, BM Sood would submit report in a week’s time to assess the damage and ascertain exact reason of the fire in the transformer.
News Link : http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/5-member-team-fails-to-assess-damage-due-to-heat-smoke/33683.html
