Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company Limited (MP Transco) has further strengthened the security and inspection of its extra high-tension transmission lines by expanding its drone patrolling system across the State.
This advanced initiative has brought remarkable results as over the past three years, transmission breakdown incidents have reduced by nearly 35 per cent, leading to significant improvements in the reliability and quality of power supply across the State.
MP Transco introduced drone-based monitoring in 2022, initially deploying it in dense forest and difficult-to-reach regions. Following successful trials, the company officially began drone surveillance of 10,000 towers in October 2022. The scope has now expanded to cover more than 23,000 towers across the state, including key transmission zones in Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Rewa.
The use of drones has made inspections faster, safer and more precise, eliminating the need for workers to climb tall towers and enabling high-resolution visual and thermal scanning of several kilometers of transmission lines within minutes. This has allowed quicker fault detection, reduced downtime and data-driven maintenance with greater cost efficiency.
MP Transco chief engineer D.K. Agrawal stated, Drone patrolling has made our transmission monitoring completely data-driven. It has helped reduce system losses and brought about a lasting improvement in power supply quality.
Model for other states
MP Transco's drone patrolling system has now become a benchmark for other power transmission utilities across India. Several states have reached out to MP Transco seeking to learn from its operational experience and technical fraemework to implement similar systems in their regions.
Next Phase: AI-Powered Smart Monitoring
Building on its success, MP Transco is now preparing to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its drone surveillance system. The AI platform will analyse visual and thermal data collected by drones to predict potential technical faults, enabling preventive maintenance before breakdowns occur.
Once fully operational, this innovation will make the State s power transmission network nearly 100 per cent digital and predictive, ensuring enhanced stability and uninterrupted electricity supply.
