Hyderabad: The electricity department has decided to take steps to prevent power outages caused by animals and birds. To achieve this, they will replace metal clamps with special Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) silicon clamps on all the power lines under their control.
SPDCL Chairman and Managing Director, Musharraf Ali Faruqui, explained that reptiles like lizards, iguanas, and small animals such as squirrels and cats, as well as birds, often get electrocuted when they come into contact with live wires. This usually happens at the points where metal clamps are used on horn gap fuse insulator sets found at transformers, breakers, and limbs. When these animals touch the live wire and the earth points at the same time, it causes the power to trip, leading to disruptions in the electricity supply.
Faruqui mentioned that about 14 percent of power tripping incidents are due to short circuits caused by reptiles, animals, and birds. To prevent these outages and protect the animals from being electrocuted, the department plans to replace the current metal clamps with FRP silicon clamps. These new clamps are non-conductive, meaning that even if reptiles come into contact with them, they won’t be harmed.
Initially, around 3,000 FRP silicon clamps will be installed in areas that have a high density of trees and a large population of reptiles. Faruqui believes that this small change will not only help save reptiles but also reduce disruptions in the power supply.
