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| PDD installs smart meters atop poles | | Makes devices inaccessible for consumers, slow internet connectivity another impediment | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 8: The Power Department installing smart meters atop poles in few Jammu areas has made these devices inaccessible for the consumers, while as slow internet connectivity has become another impediment to make these meters fully functional.
Sources in the department informed Early Times that in the first phase the PDD Jammu wing has started the process of installing smart meters in the rural areas adjoining the Roop Nagar locality of Jammu city. However, as per the directions from the authorities, the smart meters have been installed either atop the poles or at quit high points, making them inaccessible to the consumers.
“These smart meters can only be read by a special-meter and not the common consumer will be able to check it. The meters have been manufactured in such a way that if someone fiddles with it, it will be detected by the Special-meters, which will be in possession of Meter-readers. However, how a customer will be able to check his/her bill without the availability of special meter,” a PDD official said, adding that even during the checking of the meters by the special meters, the consumer has to rely on the reading noted by the meter reader but there would be no counter check-up, which ensured transparency.
It has been claimed by the department that after the installation of smart meters transparency but customers would not be able to check them in the present case, the official said.
Another official, involved in the installation process claimed that the slow internet connectivity would be another impediment to make the Smart-metres completely functional. “All these Smart-meters will be on Wi-Fi facility to run the GPS system. Without a GPS tracking system, these would be meters but not smart as consumers would not be able to handle them as their mobile-phones as claimed by the authorities”, the official said.
He said that to bring transparency, the meters must be installed at easily accessible points, so that a trust would be maintained between the consumers about the authenticity of the meters but it was beyond comprehension as why these have been installed away from the reach of the consumers?.
Pertinently, while making announcement of starting the process, the Project Implementing Agency (PIA) had informed in the first phase 20,000 meters would be installed and the process would continue in a phased manner till all of the 200,000 meters sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) would be installed. It was also claimed that with smart meters, people would be able to know their electricity consumption pattern and bill on a real-time basis, which would help them manage the load and also monitor their monthly bill. |
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