Underground power lines for Rajarhat, Baruipur, other towns

Kolkata: The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (WBSEDCL) has completed the construction of underground power distribution networks in Rajarhat, Baruipur, Kharagpur and Chandannagar under a World Bank-funded project aimed at strengthening and modernising the state’s electricity infrastructure.

Work to convert overhead electricity lines into underground networks is still underway in Siliguri and Asansol, and officials expect it to be completed by Nov this year.

According to senior govt officials, as the project is commissioned in Chandannagar, Rajarhat, Kharagpur and Baruipur, these four towns will largely be insulated from breakdowns of the power distribution network, which happened during cyclones Aila (2009) and Amphan (2020) and left some 20 lakh odd customers in those areas without electricity for several days.

“The overhead-to-underground conversion of the distribution network in Rajarhat, Baruipur, Kharagpur and Chandannagar has ensured better quality of power and enhanced the supply reliability to the consumers. Additionally, it prevents accidents arising out of overhead live electricity wires being cut and falling on grounds caused by any storm or Nor’westers and also incidents of power theft,” an official said.

The underground network work in Rajarhat, covering the stretch from Kolkata Airport to Kestopur, was completed last year. Kharagpur and Baruipur received underground power networks in late 2025, while work in Chandannagar was completed in March this year.

However, being unplanned towns, building a 100% underground power distribution network is not possible in these towns.

“And so, we have built a mix of underground infrastructure largely with overhead aerial bundled (AB) cable in a few places, thus removing all bare conductors from the network, which has helped in achieving our objectives,” a senior official of the state administration said.

Earlier, WBSEDCL built an underground power distribution network in Digha under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project. Similar underground systems have also been developed in Krishnanagar, Chinsura, Bolpur, Nabadwip and Cooch Behar using state govt funds.

In Nov-Dec 2021, WBSEDCL got sanction for a Rs 2,800 crore project, 70% of which was funded by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The World Bank and AIIB sanctioned a soft loan of 35% each of the project cost, and the remaining 30% of the cost is being borne by the West Bengal govt.

Out of Rs 2,800 crore, Rs 700 crore was earmarked to convert overhead electricity lines into underground networks in six towns.