How I attended First Power Interruption

When CEB plans for line maintenance usually a 33kV line interrupted at a grid Substation,those days. Usually on Sundays a line is interrupted during that time.There was no problem of feedback as the lines are open at one end by an Isolator, a switch mounted on towers or poles which operates from the ground by a long handle. An Isolater cannot open with the load on.

There was an Isolator for each 33kV line in between two area boundaries and it could not be reached without 2-3 hours traveling from a grid. So the interrupted line is dead for 20-30 miles(miles used during that time).The roads were not good and in a hill area reaching Isolator further delays due to its installation in a mountain where workmen to walk about 100-200 yards ,in a jungle or tea land.

During my first interruption, I had to travelled to a place called Durakkanda ,a village off 15miles from Balangoda along the Rassagala to open the Isloater there.Opening of this Isolater assisted the EF Ratnapura to close one of their Isolators to feed back up to Durakkanda as the line beyond Durakkanda was under EF ratnapura. After opening the isolater, I noticed my linesmen and Golaya went little further and brought a pot and some other things supposed to eat. The pot was full of Kitul Toddy and boiled Manioc with maldive fish sambol. I was given an opportuinity to sip and I did with my firm refusal. I sipped it and ate maniioc with sambol.

These were very tasty during our young days. We came back and started cleaning insulators of the 33kV line in addition to connection to a new substation. The insulators were full of fungus and glass appearance was totally covered with fungus. There was three gangs to work and working on an interruption on Sundays were compulsary.