Indore (Madhya Pradesh): For over seven decades, the name “All India Radio Feeder” has echoed across power offices, circle headquarters and control centers in Indore – a reminder of the city’s deep connection with broadcasting history.
Nearly 70 years ago, a special electricity line was laid to supply uninterrupted power to the All India Radio (AIR) transmission center at Rau. Power was drawn from the 132 KV Chambal substation at Polo Ground to the 33/11 KV Rajmohalla grid, and from there extended through Malganj and Mhow Naka to reach the AIR station. The dedicated line became known as the All India Radio Feeder, a name still in official use today.
In the 1950s and 60s, when only a few thousand households had electricity connections between central Indore and Rau, ensuring uninterrupted supply to AIR was considered a matter of prestige and public service.
Retired lineman Shri Sitaram Rathore, who served during that era, recalls: “Radio was the only fast medium of news and entertainment. We made sure the transmission center never faced an outage except during scheduled shutdowns.”
Maintenance in those years was labor-intensive. Line staff earning Rs 70 a month would cycle several kilometers carrying ladders, trimming tree branches five feet away from lines, tightening jumpers, replacing insulators, and patrolling up to 10 km of feeder lines daily. Control of the entire city’s electricity was monitored from the City Control Room at Polo Ground.
Over the decades, the feeder’s reach has grown. From just a few thousand consumers in the 1950s, today the All India Radio feeder supplies round-the-clock power to nearly 3,700 consumers along its stretch from Rajmohalla to Rau. Interestingly, when the city’s first smart meter feeder was introduced between Chhatripura and Mhow Naka, it too was connected to this historic feeder.
Zone In-charge Vishal Verma of the Madhya Pradesh Paschim Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company notes: “Even today, the name All India Radio Feeder is used on wireless sets and at substations. It is a legacy that connects Indore’s electricity supply system with the city’s broadcasting heritage.”
