Electricity

Department profile

Island wise Address and contact details

Organization Chart

Various Schemes

• Electrification of Lakshadweep Islands
• Providing of Round the clock power supply
• Augmentation of DG sets
• Installation of Step up/ Step down transformer
• Construction of HT line
• Providing of Service Connections/ LT lines
• Providing of Street Lights
• Awareness Programme for Energy Conservation

Brief Note about Lakshadweep Electricity Department

Power sector is an infrastructural sector and the availability of power is an important determinant for economic growth of an area. Lakshadweep Electricity Department generates and distributes electricity to consumers round the clock in the entire Lakshadweep Islands.

Electrification of Lakshadweep Islands was initiated during the second Five Year Plan. Minicoy was the first Island electrified in 1962 followed by Kavaratti Island in 1964, then Amini and Andrott in 1965 and 1966 respectively. Bitra was the last Island electrified in 1982. Initially, power supply was limited to 6 – 12 hours till 1982-83 except in Kavaratti where 24 hours power supply was provided from 1964 itself. Round the clock power supply is provided in all the Islands since 1983.

Functions of the Department

• Generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in all Islands
• Internal electrification of Govt. buildings
• Implementation of Non Conventional Energy Source Projects

Power Generation and Activities

Starting with modest capacity of 51.6 kilo Watts in 1962 from two Diesel Generating Sets, the Lakshadweep Electricity Department has grown up by leaps and bounds with generating capacity of 21990 KW from 50 Diesel Generating Sets and 8 SPV Power Plants as on 31/03/2018.

The power generated has been steadily increasing over the years to meet the demand of the people in the Islands. Since, the Diesel Generating sets were the only source of power, diesel has to be transported from Calicut (Kerala) in barrels. These barrels are transported in cargo barges to the Islands and stored for use. To alleviate this problem of transportation, oil storage facilities initially at Kavaratti and Minicoy Islands are under installation.

The increase in demand for power in Islands is at 5% per annum. It is in this scenario, that the environment awareness becomes crucial. To reduce the threats of pollution, Electricity Department of Lakshadweep has introduced new methods of power generation to safe guard the beauty of these coral Islands and its people along with fauna and flora.

It is here that the use of Solar Power – which is clean, eco-friendly and abundantly available, becomes a viable option, starting with a 5 kWp SPV Power Plant at Bitra on an experimental basis, today it reached 1900 kWp.

All the households in the inhabited Islands have been electrified. New service connections are provided on receipt of request. Transmission lines as well as distribution lines have been converted into U.G. cables in all the Islands. Electronic Energy meters have been introduced in consumer premises with computerised billing in all the cash collection centers or consumer can pay their bills online by e-payment system. Self meter reading by consumers themselves is in vogue from 1988 onwards.

Departmental staffs are available in fuse off call centers in all the Islands, 24 hours, 7days a week to respond to service connection complaints / service emergencies.

Energy conservation

Department distributes Solar Lanterns, Improved Chullah, Energy efficient lamps and Pressure Cookers to public at concessional / subsidised rates for conserving costly electrical energy.

A part from that department has recently distributed 1 Lakh nos of 9Watts LED bulbs among the consumers. Each consumers is provided with 4 LED bulbs as replacement of ICL/CFL. 2000 nos of 18 W LED tubes are distributed among the consumers of chetlat Island. Each consumer is provided with 2 Nos LED tube as placement for 40/36 W ordinary tubes.

Projects under Progress

• Augmentation of Diesel Generating capacity
• Augmentation of Distribution System
• Implementation of Smart energy meters to consumers
• Implementation of Roof top solar