Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann launches Rs 8 cr underground electricity project in Satauj

Bhagwant Mann launched an underground electricity wiring project in Satauj on Tuesday. The pilot is meant to improve safety and begin Punjab's push for pole-free villages.

In Short

• Project will remove 384 poles and connect nearly 800 households underground
• Around Rs 8 crore will fund high and low tension service lines
• Trenchless drilling will place cables three feet deep without damaging roads

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday launched an ambitious underground electricity wiring project from his native village Satauj, marking the beginning of what the Punjab government claims will make the state the first in India to have pole-free villages.

The pilot project aims to remove 384 electricity poles from Satauj and replace overhead power lines with underground wiring without digging roads. The initiative is being seen as one of the Punjab government’s flagship infrastructure projects focused on modernising rural power supply systems and improving safety.

Addressing a gathering during the foundation stone laying ceremony, Mann described the initiative as the beginning of a “Roshan Punjab” with modern infrastructure, uninterrupted electricity supply and safer villages. He said the “Satauj Model” would eventually serve as a roadmap for villages across the country.

Under the project, overhead electricity lines in the village will be shifted underground at an estimated cost of around Rs 8 crore. According to officials, nearly 7 kilometres of High Tension lines, 9.5 kilometres of Low Tension lines and around 41 kilometres of service cables connected to nearly 800 households will be laid underground.

The Chief Minister said all High Tension lines connected to the 66 KV Grid in Satauj through three 11 KV feeders and linked to 28 transformers would be undergrounded. Low Tension lines from transformers to meter boxes and household service cables will also be shifted below the surface.

Mann highlighted that trenchless drilling technology would be used to install underground pipes nearly three feet below the ground, ensuring roads remain undamaged during construction.

The Chief Minister said the move would significantly reduce risks posed by overhead power lines, including electrocution incidents, crop fires and power disruptions caused by storms and heavy rainfall. He added that the underground system would also reduce transmission losses and improve the overall appearance of villages.

Becoming emotional during his speech, Mann recalled that three young men from Satauj had earlier lost their lives due to electrocution involving combine harvesters. He said the project was dedicated to ensuring such incidents never occur again.

Cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Tarunpreet Singh Sond were also present at the event.

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