1,110 km underground cables in four Sub-Divisions; Rs. 408.94 crore budget

Mysore/Mysuru: Work on laying underground (UG) power cables by the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) — aimed at converting overhead power lines into underground cables — has resumed and intensified across the city to ensure a safer and more reliable electricity supply.

The ambitious project, being implemented across four Sub-Divisions, has been allocated a budget of Rs. 408.94 crore.

In the V.V. Mohalla Division, works have been taken up at R.K. Nagar Sub-Division and V.V. Mohalla Sub-Division and in N.R. Mohalla Sub-Division, cable laying works have been taken up at Chamundipuram and Jyothinagar Sub-Divisions.

Officials said, the initiative involves the installation of 1,110 kilometres of UG cables, which is expected to significantly reduce power disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions and technical faults.

Apart from improving reliability, the transition from overhead lines to UG cables is also expected to enhance the visual appeal of Mysuru’s urban landscape.

As part of the ongoing works, CESC’s N.R. Mohalla Division has taken up underground cable-laying at the Silk Factory and Kanakagiri feeders under the South Power Distribution Centre.

The project is being executed in phases and authorities believe it will play a crucial role in strengthening the city’s power infrastructure while contributing to long-term urban safety and beautification.

Works halted in 2024

The first phase of the project was launched in 2020 at an estimated cost of Rs. 300 crore, with around 30 percent of the work completed. However, the subsequent phase, which aimed to extend the UG cable network across the entire city, required an additional budget of Rs. 600 crore.

Consequently, in 2024, the project to modernise Mysuru’s power supply infrastructure was halted after the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) cited financial constraints.

Now, in December 2025, the works have resumed. The revived initiative holds promise in mitigating the risks posed by low-hanging overhead cables, which have previously led to fatal electrocution incidents, particularly during and after heavy rains.

Earlier, electricity was supplied through conventional methods by the Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB), with transformers connected to feeder units via overhead wires. This system proved highly vulnerable during inclement weather, resulting in frequent power outages and substantial losses.

Road drilling and cable-laying process

After the road is drilled using a Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) machine and pits are manually excavated, the power cables are laid and pulled from one end to the other. From there, connections are extended to clusters of houses and shops in the respective areas, engineers explained.

The cable network comprises a combination of High Tension (HT) 11-kV lines and Low Tension (LT) lines that supply power to individual households. The LT line carries 440 volts of electricity. As part of the works, feeder pillar boxes are being installed along roadsides, with each box supplying power to eight to nine houses.

Each feeder pillar box is equipped with control points. In the event of a fault in the main 11-kV line, the control point closest to the fault trips automatically, enabling engineers to quickly identify the issue and restore power.