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This is an archive article published on February 10, 2009

Work on substation on track,finally

It’s been a year since the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited announced a Rs 70-crore gas-insulated switchgear substation in the city.

It’s been a year since the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) announced a Rs 70-crore gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation in the city. Now,overcoming bureaucratic hurdles,a joint survey by the irrigation department and the Pune Municipal Corporation has been completed clearing the way for a new route for laying underground cables. The project is expected to commence in a week and likely to be completed by April.

The 132-KV GIS substation,the first such initiative in the state,will cost Rs 70 crore as against Rs 20 crore for a conventional 132-KV substation. The project aims at doing away with the erratic power supply in the city’s crowded areas on account of space crunch to put up enough substations. A GIS substation requires relatively less space and the underground cables will also overcome the headache of putting up overhead transmission lines in crowded areas. Besides,the insulation is stronger in GIS technology,thus ensuring interruption-free power.

The installation of the GIS substation has not been without hurdles. Road repairs initiated by the PMC and the delay by the irrigation department in agreeing to lay the underground cables through their land led to stalling of the project for nearly a year. Till date,only 850 metre of cables have been laid.

“We plan to lay cables for the entire 7.5-km from Parvati to Rasta Peth,” says B M Kamble,Chief Engineer of the Maharashstra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MSETCL). It had also to be ensured that the main canal of the Khadakwasla dam is not damaged while laying cables,which caused another delay.

The contract for installing the GIS substation was given to Areva T& D,the Indian subsidiary of Areva France.

The GIS substation will come up on a limited space at Rasta Peth itself and ease problems related to power supply,Kamble said. Power from the Parvati substation will be fed to the Rasta Peth substation through the underground cable. The GIS substation is compact and occupies less space as compared to the air-insulated switchgear substations.

The entire switchgear in the GIS system will be enclosed in a container filled with sulfur hexafluorid. This technology increases insulation and does not require maintenance. According to the engineers,it ensures interruption-free power supply.

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.   ... Read More


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