Power outage on Girivalam path in Tiruvannamalai raises safety concern

Power outage on the 14-km Girivalam Path near Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai town during night for the past few days has irked devotees, especially women and senior citizens, due to the fear of wild animals. The path is located along reserve forests (RF).

Residents said that most of the devotees cover the entire distance of the path for worship. Many devotees prefer to walk during night, during the summer. “Power outages on the path have been a common occurrence. Devotees were put to hardship by walking on the stretch in the dark. A permanent solution should be taken to prevent such power outages on the girivalam path,” said B. Ramesh, a resident.

Residents said that the path between Yama Lingam and Theetha Lingam, a distance of around two km, witnessed an unscheduled power cut in the early hours of Monday. The sudden power cut has made the path risky for devotees.

At present, the town witnesses one lakh visitors during weekdays. The footfall doubles during weekends and holidays. On Chitra Pournami, around 25 lakh devotees visit the temple. The Arunachaleswarar temple is maintained by HR&CE and Girivalam Path comes under the control of State Highways that provides basic amenities like purified drinking water, washrooms, bitumen carriageway, rest halls. 

Tangedco officials said that the path has 19 transformers, including ones of 110 KV and 220 KV. These facilities help provide power supply to the streetlights along the route. More than 800 streetlights on the path are maintained by Tiruvannamalai Corporation.

Tangedco officials said that power outages on the path occur mainly due to strong winds in town. Such power cut problems are attended to once the weather conditions in the area are back to normal.

Alternative power backups like diesel powered generators and solar power panels to operate street lights on the path are also being worked out. “Electrical transformers on Girivalam Path face problems due to strong winds. Alternative power backup arrangements should be in place to prevent such sudden power outages,” S. Saravanan, Executive Engineer (EE), Tangedco (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu.