Ranchi, July 11: A modern power monitoring system worth nearly ₹60 crore, installed to strengthen electricity distribution in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad, has reportedly fallen into disuse following prolonged administrative delays and the non-renewal of maintenance contracts.
The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system was introduced under the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) to enable real-time monitoring of substations, feeders and power supply networks.
The technology was expected to reduce outage response time, improve fault detection and enhance the overall efficiency of electricity distribution.
The project underwent testing in 2017, was inaugurated on August 15, 2019, and became fully operational in 2020.
The total project cost was approximately ₹60 crore, with nearly ₹20 crore invested in each of the three cities.
According to the report, the system gradually became non-functional after maintenance agreements with technical service providers expired and were not renewed.
Without regular software updates, hardware servicing and network support, the central control room lost its ability to receive real-time operational data from substations.
The report further states that officials were alerted to the deteriorating condition of the system through a letter dated January 8, 2026.
The communication reportedly warned that the absence of maintenance could permanently damage the equipment and render the SCADA infrastructure obsolete.
Despite the warning, no immediate action was taken to restore or maintain the system.Three companies were associated with the project.
Dongfang Electronics executed the main SCADA installation, C&P Technologies established the communication network connecting substations to the control room, and Delta Electronics was responsible for software support, servers and maintenance of the monitoring system.
All three agencies reportedly discontinued their services after the maintenance contracts expired nearly 18 months ago.
As a result, power distribution officials are now reportedly relying on manual methods to detect and respond to faults in the electricity network, increasing restoration time during outages and reducing operational efficiency.
The reported collapse of the SCADA system has raised concerns over the maintenance of critical public infrastructure and the effective utilisation of public funds.
It has also highlighted the importance of timely maintenance, contract renewals and continuous technical support to ensure the long-term sustainability of technology-driven public utility projects.
