A multi storey building is a structure that has multiple floors above ground in the building. They aim to increase the locale of the building without increasing the area of the land the building is built on, hence saving land and money. Whereas, ‘High-rise building’ is a multi storey building having height above a pre-defined limit. This height limit is determined by the respective government in aspect of fire safety. In India, the height is defined through National Building Code and it is 15 metres. In other words, multi storeyed buildings having height more than 15 metres are treated as high-rise buildings. As mentioned above, this definition is done for fire safety only and thus to have extra provisions for achieving the safety. There is a logic to the 15 metres number. The NBC’s 15 metres was decided by authorities of Bureau of Indian Standards, on the basis of the height of a manually-operated extension ladder of 35 feet (roughly 11 metres) working height. Fire departments around the country use this ladder for buildings of 15 metres height. The height defined here is measured from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access to the terrace floor of the highest livable storey.
US based National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) targeting the reduction of the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards, define ‘high-rise building’ with a height limit of 23 metres. When they think of globally, the fire safety equipments could be of that standard to achieve the safety. In India itself, many areas give different definitions for the same. For example in Mumbai this limit is 24 metres and in Ahmedabad it is 18 metres. To the latest, in Kerala the Municipality Building (Amendment) Rules, 2013 redefined the high-rise building as the buildings having height above 16 metres.
Here, we deal how the multi storeyed buildings are to be treated for their electrical connections. The earstwhile Indian Electricity Rules, 1956 rule-50A directed that the multi storeyed buildings having height more than 15 metres are to be treated separately to prevent danger due to shock and fire hazards [read sub-clause(3)]. It may be noticed that no ‘high-rise building’ vocabulary was used through out the rule, since the category was considered separately for fire safety alone. But, the buildings with height more than 15 meters are to be safe guarded against fire hazards due to electric means. When the rule-50A was replaced with regulation-36 under Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2010; no modification was proclaimed, except that the connected load and voltage of supply above which inspection is to be carried out by an Electrical Inspector shall be notified by the Appropriate Government. Here, it is ascertained that the Appropriate Government have no role to redefine the height of the buildings. Again, through G.O.(P) No. 22/2013/PD dated 20th May, 2013 under clause-2 Kerala Government issued notification as above.
As on 1st April, 2014 the Kerala Electricity Supply Code, 2005, and the terms and conditions of supply issued thereunder will be repealed with Kerala Electricity Supply Code, 2014. As per Kerala Electricity Supply Code, 2005 regulation 2(bb) multi storied building and high-rise building were having a combined single definition that buildings exceeding height of 15 metres from ground level. But with Kerala Electricity Supply Code, 2014 multi storeyed buildings (not to the limit of 15 metres) are generally mentioned in many regulations (eg:- 11(3), 50, 56, etc.) giving directions to be considered while electric connection is given. Also, ‘high-rise building’ alone was defined with regulation 2(46) subsequent to the revision through Kerala Municipality Building (Amendment) Rules, 2013 that the buildings having height above 16 metres. When compared with regulation-36 under CEA (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2010; regulation 15(4)(ii) under the new supply code need a correction that multi storeyed buildings having height more than 15 metres are only to be considered for approval from Electrical Inspector. Or otherwise, all the multi storied buildings are to be approved by Electrical Inspector ?
Regulations 15(3), 49(1-c), 49(4), etc. are dealt with the provisions of electrical connections to the high-rise buildings. As per clause-49 for a high-rise building:
(a) The expenditure for modification, upgradation and uprating of the distribution system of the licensee executed, if any, exclusively for giving connection shall be realised from the applicants irrespective of the load demand.
(b) The total connected load of the high rise building shall, for the purpose of this regulation, be the connected load computed as per the norms approved by the Commission, on the basis of the area constructed or the load applied for whichever is higher.
(c) The development authority or the promoter or the builder or the developer or any other person who constructs a high rise building shall prepare and obtain approval from the Electrical Inspector, a detailed scheme of electrification of the high rise building, with all necessary equipment namely transformer, ring main unit (RMU) etc., and shall submit the same to the licensee along with application for service connection.
(d) The development authority or the promoter or the builder or the developer or such other person, as the case may be, who constructs a high rise building under the clause (a) above, shall, at his cost, construct the required internal distribution network, including the service line, transformer, switchgear etc., as per the detailed scheme approved by the Electrical Inspector, for receiving power from the licensee and for distributing it and shall handover such internal distribution network up to and including the metering point to the licensee before commencement of supply of electricity.
(e) The security deposit and other charges if any payable by the individual consumer therein shall be borne by each of them at the time of applying for separate electricity connection.
In the previous versions of the supply code if the total connected load exceeds 50kVA transformer was necessary to be installed either by the supplier or consumer. But here the whole concept is changed. For the category of multi storeyed buildings having height more than 15 metres but not exceeding 16 metres some confusions still exist. In such cases transformer need not be insisted. Only for the high-rise building it is defined as in clause (c) above. Even Electrical Inspector cant neglect the above category of the multi storeyed buildings, since regulation 36 under CEA Safety regulations, 2010 are to be obeyed.
I am trying to reach the following conclusions:-
- Multi storeyed building and high-rise building can not be treated as same. Connections to the multi storeyed building having height above 15 metres should be as per regulation-36 under CEA (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2010.
- High-rise buildings redefined as per Kerala the Municipality Building (Amendment) Rules, 2013 are now separately treated in the new supply code.
- Multi storied buildings having height above 15 metres but not coming under high-rise buildings shall also be considered by Electrical Inspectorate for approval and sanction. But, the conditions of availing supply from KSEB is totally changed.
- Regulation 15-4(ii) need a correction that – ‘Multi storeyed buidlings having height more than 15 metres’
- Through the new supply code, since KSEB is getting comparatively more chances for installing transformers from the supplier side, indoor transformers only shall be insisted for corporation and residential building premises.
Jamesonline 