Karimnagar has become the first circle under Telangana Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGNPDCL) to achieve 100% RTFMS integration, bringing all 82 substations in the circle under the Real-Time Feeder Monitoring System and SCADA network.
TGNPDCL Chairman and Managing Director Karnati Varun Reddy announced the achievement on Friday, saying the system would help the distribution company monitor feeder performance, identify technical problems faster and improve the reliability of electricity supply.
RTFMS allows power supply conditions to be monitored in real time from a SCADA control room. The system generates alerts when a feeder experiences an interruption and provides operational information including power consumption, voltage levels and feeder loads. According to the CMD, this allows field personnel to respond more quickly to faults and coordinate restoration work more efficiently.
The system is also designed to identify overloaded feeders and voltage fluctuations as they occur. TGNPDCL said this information can support preventive action and help the utility detect potential supply problems before they result in longer interruptions. The technology therefore shifts part of the distribution response from post-fault restoration towards continuous network monitoring.
Karimnagar’s achievement forms part of a wider expansion of RTFMS across the TGNPDCL network. So far, 1,005 substations have been integrated with SCADA under the initiative. The CMD said Hanamkonda, Khammam and Komaram Bheem Asifabad circles were expected to achieve full integration soon.
A further 419 substations remain to be integrated, and the CMD said this work would be completed within the next two months. The expansion is being undertaken under the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who recently laid the foundation stone for the initiative at Madhira in Khammam district. The programme is also supported by Navin Mittal, Special Chief Secretary to the Energy Department.
For consumers, the immediate operational significance of RTFMS lies in the speed and quality of information available to the utility during an outage. Real-time alerts can help identify the affected feeder, notify field-level staff and reduce the time needed to locate and address a fault. The system can also provide a common operational view for control-room and field teams during restoration activity.
However, the announcement concerns the monitoring and response infrastructure of the distribution network; it does not establish that all supply interruptions will be eliminated. The effectiveness of the system will depend on the accuracy of network data, the speed of field intervention and the completion of integration across the remaining substations.
TGNPDCL said it would continue expanding the technology across its operational network to strengthen the distribution system, improve operational efficiency and provide consumers with more reliable power supply. The next stated milestone is the integration of the remaining 419 substations within two months.
