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Delay in installing smart meters by Tangedco in Chennai-Residents angry and disappointed
Posted on: 10/Jun/2021 9:16:55 AM
There has been a huge delay in the installation of smart metres under the smart city project in T. Nagar by Tangedco. This has irked many residents there. Truth is that Tangedco purchased 1.4llakh smart meters to be installed in T. Nagar in 2020 itself.
The Coronavirus infection pandemic situation coupled with the subsequent lockdown has delayed the installation of these smart meters by Tangedco. This has made the residents of T. Nagar unhappy and angry. Around 15.000 smart meters have been installed now in households by Tangedco.
It is learnt that those homes with smart meters would be paying electricity charges for the exact consumption versus those with conventional meters who were forced to pay the 2019 bill.
The residents have been waiting for the instalment of smart metres in their houses in T. Nagar for a long time. This was pointed out by Mr. Jayaraman, president of T. Nagar Residents Welfare Association. Four years back itself smart meters installation was proposed under the smart city project. The smart meters have been purchased by Tangedco but the installation in the houses has been delayed. Truth is that if the smart meters were installed in T. Nagar then the residents there would have paid electricity bills for whatever consumed by them.
As many as 1.41 lakhs smart meters have been purchased by Tangedco from Venus Power Ventures India Ltd to be installed in the consumer premises. This was according to an official belonging to Tangedco. He later spoke about the delay in the installation of these smart meters in the houses due to the Coronavirus pandemic. He threw light on how after the first infection wave as many as15000 meters have been installed in the houses and how the second infection wave had made the department stop installing the smart meters.
It must be noted that the consumers were also worried about allowing the workers inside their houses for fear of the spread of Covid-19 infection. The official later assured that once the situation turns normal, the installation of smart metres would be completed. The advantage of smart metres is that it would eliminate human intervention for getting meter data.
