Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) in the Coimbatore region has begun assessing low?lying power lines that run through forest areas as part of a rectification drive to prevent electrocution of elephants and other wildlife. The initiative was intensified after a male wild elephant was electrocuted in a private farm near Mathampatty in the Madukkarai forest range. The programme focuses on lines along forest boundaries adjacent to the Western Ghats.

A senior official of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) said the work had been planned across forest boundaries, but Line Clearance had not been granted during the election period, delaying progress. The official added that insulation work would begin next week, now that the elections were over. TNPDCL plans to insulate around 500 km of power lines in the Coimbatore district, with priority for critical corridors.

Lines will be covered with full?length extruded silicone rubber sleeves supplied in reels and installed in a flat format so the edges lock together to form a circular cover over the conductor. Installation involves dispensing silicone sealant into the lock and pressing the ends to seal the sleeve, a procedure that reduces wildlife?related outages and improves system reliability. The measure is especially suited to areas with frequent elephant movement.

TNPDCL completed a trial insulation of 18 km on the Kallar feeder near Mettupalayam in the North Circle, which contains a major elephant corridor, and carried out similar trials on one feeder in each circle. The authority will expand the trials to other feeders and mobilise teams to cover the remaining stretches. The distribution company is also installing Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs) along forest boundaries and in movement corridors so that circuits trip rapidly when faults occur, reducing the risk of electrocution.

In the Coimbatore South and Udumalpet circles the focus includes securing lines against falling coconut trunks in agricultural areas such as Negamam, Pollachi and Udumalpet. Fencing around transformers has been installed in Valparai, and similar safeguards are being planned for other forest boundaries in the region.