As urban power systems increasingly rely on underground cable networks to supply electricity to critical infrastructure such as metro systems, data centres, hospitals and commercial hubs, industry experts are emphasising the need for advanced monitoring and predictive asset management practices to ensure reliability and safety.
The issue was discussed at the National Conference on Best Practices for Underground EHV Power Cables organised by the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) under the aegis of CIGRE India. At the conference, Rajinder Kaul, Chairman and Managing Director of Sharika Enterprises Limited, presented a technical paper titled “From Bury and Forget to Preventive & Predictive Asset Management: Treating Underground Cables as Critical Infrastructure.” The paper highlighted the limitations of conventional asset management approaches used in underground cable systems and stressed the need to transition towards predictive monitoring.
Underground cable networks have increasingly become the backbone of modern urban electricity infrastructure. However, many utilities continue to rely on conventional management practices often described as “bury and forget,” where cables remain largely unmonitored once they are installed. Operational experience across several power networks shows that underground cable failures can result in prolonged outages, as fault detection and repairs are often complex and time-consuming. These failures are frequently linked to excavation damage, joint defects and thermal stress within the cable system.
To address these challenges, the paper introduced the TRAP Framework, a monitoring approach that combines sensing technologies with data analysis to help utilities detect potential issues early and move towards predictive maintenance. The framework includes temperature monitoring through Distributed Temperature Sensing systems, which track thermal behaviour along the cable route and help identify hotspots or overloading conditions. It also includes route and risk monitoring using Distributed Acoustic Sensing technology that detects vibrations caused by excavation, drilling or construction activity near underground cable corridors.
The framework further includes asset health monitoring through Online Partial Discharge measurements, which help identify early signs of insulation deterioration in cable joints and terminations. In addition, performance analytics is used to study monitoring data and operational trends across the network, allowing utilities to plan maintenance more effectively and manage cable assets throughout their lifecycle.
During the presentation, Kaul noted that underground cable systems are becoming an integral part of modern power infrastructure, particularly in dense urban networks and critical facilities. He said that moving towards predictive asset management allows utilities to monitor cable health, anticipate potential failures and optimise lifecycle performance, which will be essential for strengthening the reliability and resilience of future power networks.
The paper also highlighted the role of fibre-embedded cable systems, where optical fibres integrated inside power cables act as sensing channels along the route. These fibres enable utilities to monitor long cable sections, tunnels and dense urban corridors in real time, improving network visibility and enabling faster fault identification.
According to the paper, while many utilities are aware of such monitoring approaches, their adoption remains limited across several networks. Wider implementation of predictive monitoring frameworks could help utilities detect faults earlier, reduce outage durations and enhance the reliability of underground power corridors that serve critical infrastructure.
