Power restoration gathers pace in cyclone-hit coastal Andhra

Vijayawada: Power supply restoration has gathered pace across cyclone-hit coastal Andhra Pradesh, with electricity personnel working round the clock to repair damaged infrastructure and restore normalcy following Cyclone Murasu, which made landfall near Kothapatnam on November 3.

Energy special chief secretary K Vijayanand on Thursday praised the dedication and technical skills of power utility personnel who worked under extremely difficult conditions, including heavy rain and flooding, to restore electricity. He visited the State Load Dispatch Centre (APSLDC) at Vidyut Soudha and reviewed the restoration efforts with APTransco joint managing director Surya Sai Praveen Chand, APCPDCL CMD P Pulla Reddy and director (Grid) A K V Bhaskar.

Vijayanand said the cyclone had severely damaged power infrastructure in Bapatla, Prakasam, Palnadu, Guntur, NTR and Krishna districts. Despite the challenges, field staff worked alongside NDRF teams to restore supply to affected areas. He assured that uninterrupted power supply would be restored soon, while alternative arrangements were being made in locations where fallen poles and waterlogging were delaying repairs.

He explained that extra-high-tension transmission lines had suffered extensive damage. In Bapatla district, a 220 kV terminal tower collapsed, causing its lines to fall across the 132 kV Parchur-Chirala corridor. Technical teams worked amid strong flood currents to clear the obstruction and restore power.

At the 400/220/132 kV substation Guddigudem near Gopalapuram in East Godavari district, floodwater entered the premises after breaching the compound wall. Engineers used heavy motor pumps to drain the water, conducted safety inspections and restored the 400 kV lines, 220 kV bus and primary ICTs.

In the APEPDCL zone, 1,001 specialised teams comprising 11,537 personnel restored power supply to all 552 affected substations and 5,753 villages, benefiting nearly 29 lakh consumers. In the APCPDCL zone, more than 230 teams were engaged in restoration works, with supply restored to over three lakh domestic and commercial connections. Work was nearing completion in severely affected mandals, including Naguluppala Padu, Kothapatnam, Martur and Parchuru.

Vijayanand appealed to people to stay away from fallen electric poles, snapped wires and waterlogged electrical equipment. He urged consumers to report localised power disruptions and damaged transformers through the electricity department’s toll-free helplines.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dasari Srinivasa Rao

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Dasari Srinivasa Rao is a Staff Reporter with The Hans India, covering NTR and Krishna districts, with a primary focus on Vijayawada. He has 32 years of experience in journalism. His reporting spans a wide range of beats, including city and rural development, politics, irrigation, education, crime, and human-interest stories.

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