Gandhinagar, June 3 (IANS) Gujarat’s urban electricity network will be shifted underground by 2030 under a newly approved state-wide initiative that will cover all 17 municipal corporations and 151 municipalities, with the state government allocating Rs 500 crore for the first phase of the project.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar, where the government granted in-principle approval to the “Gujarat Wire Free City Mission”.

Announcing the decision, government spokesperson and minister Jitu Vaghani said the mission seeks to transform all urban areas in Gujarat into wire-free cities in a phased manner by 2030.

Vaghani asserted that the initiative had been conceived in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of developing green and smart cities.

“Under the Gujarat Wire Free City Mission, all cities in the state will be made wire-free in a phased manner by the year 2030,” Vaghani said, adding that the state government had approved a provision of Rs 500 crore for the initial phase of the ambitious programme.

He said the mission would cover all 17 municipal corporations and 151 municipalities across Gujarat and was expected to significantly improve both the safety and appearance of urban areas.

Under the project, the existing overhead electricity distribution infrastructure in cities will be converted into a fully underground cable network.

More than 14,600 circuit kilometres of high-tension overhead network and over 31,400 circuit kilometres of low-tension overhead network will be shifted underground in stages.

Vaghani said implementation would begin with converting 11 kV overhead power lines to underground cables. The undergrounding of low-tension lines will be carried out in subsequent phases.

Explaining the project’s benefits, the minister said underground cabling would help prevent accidents caused by snapped wires and short circuits during natural disasters such as cyclones.

“Underground cabling will prevent incidents such as wire breakages and short circuits during natural calamities like cyclones,” he said.

He added that the project would also reduce technical faults in the electricity distribution system, thereby leading to a more reliable power supply.

“Due to a reduction in technical faults, citizens will receive better-quality electricity and uninterrupted power supply without any kind of disruption,” Vaghani said.

Describing the initiative as more than a conventional power infrastructure project, he said: “The Gujarat Wire Free City Mission is not merely a routine project to replace power lines, but a historic and significant step by our government towards building a smart, beautiful and safe Gujarat of the 21st century.”

–IANS

mys/dan