Gujarat's 'Wire-Free City Mission' gets nod to make cities wire-free

Gujarat's Cabinet has approved the 'Wire-Free City Mission' to make all its cities wire-free by 2030. The project's first phase, with a Rs 500 crore budget, will move overhead power lines underground to enhance urban safety and aesthetics.

A Cabinet meeting was held in Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. During the meeting, in-principle approval was granted to the "Gujarat Wire-Free City Mission", further advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of developing Green and Smart Cities across Gujarat, a release said.

Mission Scope and Vision

Briefing the media on the decision, Spokesperson Minister Jitu Vaghani stated that under the 'Gujarat Wire-Free City Mission,' all cities across Gujarat will be transformed into wire-free urban centres in a phased manner by 2030.

As part of the first phase of this ambitious initiative, the State Government has approved a provision of Rs 500 crore, the CMO stated.

The Spokesperson Minister stated that the mission will cover all 17 Municipal Corporations and 151 Municipalities across the state.

The initiative is expected to significantly enhance the aesthetics and safety of the urban areas of Gujarat.

Technical Implementation

Minister Jitu Vaghani stated that under the Gujarat Wire-Free City Mission, the existing overhead power distribution network in urban areas will be comprehensively converted into an underground cable network.

As part of the initiative, more than 14,600 circuit kilometres of high-tension overhead lines and over 31,400 circuit kilometres of low-tension overhead lines will be shifted underground in a phased manner across the state, it said.

In the first phase of the project, the existing 11 kV overhead power lines will be converted into an underground cable network, followed by the phased undergrounding of low-tension distribution lines.

Benefits and Transformative Impact

The Minister further stated that the underground cabling network will help prevent incidents such as snapped wires and short circuits during natural disasters, including cyclones. He added that the reduction in technical faults and outages will enhance the reliability of the power distribution system, ensuring citizens receive an uninterrupted, high-quality electricity supply, it said.

The Spokesperson Minister further emphasised that the 'Gujarat Wire-Free City Mission' is far more than a routine infrastructure project for replacing power lines. He described it as a historic and transformative initiative of the State Government aimed at building a smarter, more aesthetically appealing, and safer Gujarat for the 21st century, it added (ANI)

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