My First Day in DGEU

While I was chatting out with the staff of the Grid Substation-Balangoda ,the day I reported for work, The EE summoned me through a telephone link called carrier line and asked me to see him.

I walked up to his room , about 100m from the grid , I saw a man talked to the Engineer. The EE wanted me to sit and introduced the person as a linesmen. Then I was advised to go with the fellow and rectify the fault at a place called Maratenna Estate which bordered the Norton area and Balangoda area after thick jungle.

My problem

Although I went with workmen and tools I did not know what happened at the location and I did not have any idea about anything practical aspect of Electricity. How eatates or other places provide with power. What are the items in a power line etc.

My linesmen who whowed me the LT breaker , DDLO switch and power line but it was dark to note any thing. We climbed a hill to reach a pole where DDLO installed. He removed it and explained me how it functions since I was new to Job. The factory complained that they did not have power since evening and I was clueless about the power source. The linesmen under the impression that the power came from Norton and Connection from Balangoda in OFF position.

We spent their for 3 hours and waited nothing happening

We returned around mid night without any success and no body to report since there was no communications.

The following morning I explained everything to the EE and he said power came from Norton after mid night and we have to open the Norton end and close Balangoda end.

So off and close what..

It all ABS-Air Break Switch located on the power line and I saw the particular power line the same day at Balangoda. The tower line carrying 33kV to town and then end up at Maratenna.

I was posted as an Electrical Foreman GrIII in 1969 June by the GM-DGEU, the ex authority for power industry in Ceylon(those days). When I reported to then EE Balangoda, his immediate advise looked the government officers were such good characters.

He said "
You are a young man and immediately after JTO ,appointed to EF III, without any experience, in the electrical Industry. You can be a rich man in short time ,if you follow the methyods that most people will advocate, but you can serve long time in the organisation if you learn things and be honest. Do not listen to advises by various people but if you have any problem just discuss with me before putting to practice so that I can guide you."

So I chose the honest part as I carried such principles from my childhood.

continued...