Karimnagar has become the first circle under Telangana Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGNPDCL) to complete 100 per cent integration of the Real-Time Feeder Monitoring System (RTFMS), covering all 82 substations in the circle, the utility’s Chairman and Managing Director Karnati Varun Reddy announced on Friday.
The RTFMS network links substations with the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, allowing power supply conditions and feeder performance to be monitored from a control room. TGNPDCL said the system is intended to improve supply reliability, identify technical problems faster and reduce the duration of interruptions for consumers.
According to the CMD, real-time monitoring will allow the utility to detect feeder outages, overloading and voltage fluctuations as they occur. The system can also generate alerts for field-level personnel, enabling teams to respond to faults and begin restoration work more quickly.
TGNPDCL said the technology collects operational data including power consumption, voltage levels and feeder loads. The information can be analysed in real time to identify potential problems and support preventive action before they result in longer disruptions. The utility also said that coordinated restoration activities could be completed more efficiently through the system.
The Karimnagar milestone forms part of a wider expansion of RTFMS across TGNPDCL’s distribution network. So far, 1,005 substations have been integrated with SCADA under the initiative. The CMD said the remaining 419 substations would be integrated within the next two months.
TGNPDCL expects the Hanamkonda, Khammam and Komaram Bheem Asifabad circles to achieve complete integration soon. The initiative is being expanded under the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who recently laid the foundation stone for the project at Madhira in Khammam district. Special Chief Secretary to the Energy Department Navin Mittal is also supporting the expansion, according to the utility.
For electricity consumers, the stated operational benefit is faster identification of the location and nature of a fault rather than relying only on reports received after a supply interruption. However, the announcement provides no circle-wise data on outage reductions or restoration times following the Karimnagar integration. The immediate measure of the programme will therefore be how effectively the monitoring capability translates into quicker field action and more consistent supply.
Reddy congratulated the engineers and personnel involved in completing the Karimnagar integration and said TGNPDCL would continue adopting advanced technologies across its operational network. The remaining 419 substations are scheduled to be integrated within the next two months.
