A life in the day of a lineman in Chennai

A lineman or line inspector is part of the maintenance team of the electricity department that helps restore power to homes and commercial establishments. Whenever there is a disruption, it is the lineman and foreman who spring to action; only they are privy to the complex wiring network of any given locality. This is Mr. Babu’s story.

Come rain or shine, he is out there everyday bringing light into your lives. R. Babu, a line inspector with Tangedco (previously Tamil Nadu Electricity Board), is one of the 300-odd linemen monitoring the power distribution network in Chennai.

A lineman or line inspector is part of the maintenance team of the electricity department that helps restore power to homes and commercial establishments. Whenever there is a disruption, it is the lineman and foreman who spring to action; only they are privy to the complex wiring network of any given locality.

Mr. Babu joined Tangedco after he completed Class 12 and has been working in the Velachery section office for several years now. One of the biggest localities in the city, Velachery has been divided into three section offices of East, Central, and West. Mr. Babu shoulders the responsibility of ensuring uninterrupted power supply in the East section.

Born and brought up in Velachery, Mr. Babu joined the electricity department as a helper (redesignated as gangman) in a temporary position in 2005. In his roughly 34-year service in Tangedco (including his time as an apprentice), he has worked as a wireman and line inspector.

“Though the distribution network in the city has undergone a change with all overhead lines having been converted to underground lines, the lineman and helpers must be agile to climb the concrete poles which once populated the streets of Chennai,” he told The Hindu.

Linemen may be required to restore power supply even on their weekly offs, he said. Mr Babu works both day and night shifts on a rotational basis. During the day, he starts working at 8 am. His work also involves the maintenance of transformers and pillar boxes dotting the streets and the pruning of tree branches.

Having witnessed several floods that engulfed Velachery and other parts of the city, including the one in December last year, Mr. Babu, as well as his foreman and helper, has been to several localities that were marooned at the time. He has worked all his life in the city and knows its power lines like the back of his hand.