Lights out

According to some media reports, last night (Dec 8), Lesco shut down several grid stations halting the supply of power in several residential areas in Lahore. The apparent reason for the decision of the power supply company was dense fog and heavy pollution. As a precautionary measure, this step was taken.

This is not the first time for the company to take this step. It is a well known fact that porcelain insulators can malfunction under such atmospheric conditions. The best way to deal with the situation would be to use silicon polymer insulators. This can avert the shutdown of grid stations. The silicon polymer insulators are recommended for the 400KV overhead lines. The government should replace the existing porcelain insulators with the silicon polymer insulators. This task can be accomplished during the loadshedding hours to avoid further long-hours power outages. The main task for the government is to arrange the availability of the silicon polymer insulators on the top priority basis so that the power supply in Lahore remains uninterrupted in the future.

Engr Riaz Akbar

Wah Cantt