Power supply restored to 29 lakh consumers in cyclone-hit areas
Electricity personnel continue repairing damaged infrastructure to provide power to remaining homes, farms, and businesses across several districts.
Power supply has been restored to nearly 29 lakh consumers in districts hit by cyclones, according to the Deccan Chronicle. The cyclones made landfall near Kothapatnam on November 3, causing severe disruptions to the power network in Bapatla, Prakasam, Palnadu, Guntur, NTR, and Krishna districts.
Special chief secretary (Energy) K. Vijayanand reviewed the situation at a meeting at the State Load Dispatch Centre of Vidyut Soudha on Thursday. He was joined by APTRANSCO joint managing director Surya Sai Praveen Chand, APCPDCL chairman and managing director P.
Pulla Reddy, and director (Grid) A.K.V. Bhaskar.
In the APEPDCL zone, 1,001 teams consisting of 11,537 personnel restored supply to 552 affected substations and 5,753 villages. Technical teams also cleared obstructions and restored supply in the 132-kV Parchuru-Chirala corridor after a 220-kV terminal tower collapsed in Bapatla.
At the 400/220/132-kV Guddigudem substation, engineers used heavy motor pumps to drain floodwater from the compound wall to restore 400-kV lines, the 220-kV bus, and primary interconnected transformers.
Vijayanand said work is continuing in areas where poles have fallen into ponds or waterlogging has prevented replacement. He noted that temporary arrangements are being made to provide power until permanent repairs are completed.
The special chief secretary asked the public to stay away from fallen poles, snapped wires, and submerged electrical equipment. He requested consumers to report disruptions or damaged transformers via the electricity department’s toll-free helplines.