GIS Updation for a Power Distribution Utility

About the Customer

A prominent power distribution utility based in Eastern India is responsible for supplying electricity across both urban and rural areas. The organization operates a vast electrical network consisting of substations, transformers, high-tension (HT) and low-tension (LT) lines, and numerous field assets. As part of its modernization and reform initiatives, the utility aimed to enhance the accuracy of its infrastructure data using a Geographic Information System (GIS).

Business Challenge

Despite previous modernization efforts under national programs like APDRP and R-APDRP, the utility faced significant challenges:

• Incremental changes to the electrical network (new connections, upgrades, etc.) were not consistently documented.
• Field assets such as poles and transformers were missing from the database or improperly tagged.
• There was no standardized system to reflect recent changes in real-time within the GIS platform.
• Limited visibility into the asset network impacted planning, maintenance, and loss reduction efforts.

Solution

A comprehensive GIS updation project was launched to address these issues. The solution included:

• Field Surveys: Ground teams verified and captured physical infrastructure data, focusing on HT/LT poles, substations, transformers, missing or unidentified assets and identifying / integrating missing / new households to the system.
• Standardized Asset Painting: New assets were painted using utility-specific codes and color schemes for easy identification and compliance.
• Data Capture and Coding: Each pole and asset was tagged with key identifiers such as section code, circle code, transformer code, and pole code.
• Real-time GIS Integration: Verified field data was digitized and uploaded to the GIS platform, ensuring up-to-date infrastructure mapping.

Benefits

The project delivered significant operational and strategic improvements:

• Improved Data Accuracy: The updated GIS system reflects real-world infrastructure, enabling more accurate planning and reporting.
• Enhanced Asset Visibility: All assets, including previously undocumented ones, are now mapped and tracked.
• Better Maintenance & Monitoring: Real-time asset information supports quicker response to outages and improved preventative maintenance.
• Support for Loss Reduction: Improved data quality helps target areas with higher Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses.
• Compliance with Government Reforms: Aligns with APDRP and R-APDRP goals to improve utility efficiency and transparency through IT.