Laying of underground power cables along Car Streets around Swami Nellaiyappar temple completed

The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has completed the work on laying underground power cables along all four Car Streets around Swami Nellaiyappar Gandhimathi Ambal Temple to facilitate the smooth and safe conduct of the ‘Aani’ car festival to be held on July 8.

Whenever the car of Swami Nellaiyappar Temple was drawn during the ‘Aani’ festival, the Tangedco would stop power supply on these four streets by temporarily disconnecting the cables to ensure the devotees’ safety. The cable would be reconnected after the car crossed each street.

To avert this cumbersome and time-consuming exercise, Tangedco has laid underground power cables along the four car streets. Led by Regional Chief Engineer Chandra, the Tangedco personnel on Thursday inspected the underground power cabling done along the four Car Streets and the mock restoration of power supply once the car crosses each Car Street.

“Even though the time and energy we’d have to spend for reconnecting the power cables will be saved this time, thanks to the underground power cabling, we’ll have to stop the power supply during car festival as some of the youth would climb the electric poles. Till last year, our personnel had to reconnect the cables crossing the roads after the car crosses every point. This year, this problem will be averted. We’ll have to just switch on to restore power supply after the car crosses each Car Street as the crowd will also follow the car until it reaches the station again in the evening,” said a senior Tangedco official.

Ms. Chandra and others also checked the stopping and restoration of power supply during the inspection on Thursday.

Meanwhile, new CCTV cameras were being installed by the police on all four Car Streets after removing the defunct cameras as the police would monitor the devotees moving around the temple from the control room to be set-up during ‘Aani’ festival. Moreover, watch towers are also being erected at vantage points on these streets.

The Corporation is expected to commence the road-laying work shortly.