Power supply hit severely due to unseasonal rains in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: Power supply was severely affected in several areas following heavy gales, strong winds, and unseasonal rains on Sunday. However, the power utilities responded promptly, taking up restoration works on a war footing and successfully reinstated power supply in all the affected regions in the shortest possible time. Chief secretary K Vijayanand conducted a virtual review meeting with officials of power utilities to assess the extent of disruptions and the status of restoration efforts. He appreciated the efforts of the field staff and engineers who worked relentlessly, even under challenging weather conditions, to restore electricity swiftly and minimize inconvenience to the public. He further directed the power utilities to remain on high alert in the coming days in view of sudden seasonal changes and unpredictable weather patterns. Stating that chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar are closely monitoring the situation, the chief secretary has instructed officials to ensure uninterrupted services and extend all necessary support to the public. He emphasized proactive planning and immediate response to any emerging challenges caused by the adverse weather conditions. CMD APCPDCL AKV Bhaskar said that supply was disrupted following the collapse of several 33kV and 11kV poles. A total of 129 Nos 33kV feeders were affected, of which 125 have been restored. Out of 482 affected 11kV feeders, 477 have been brought back into service. The remaining feeders are expected to be restored by 10 PM today. CMD APEPDCL I Prudhvi Tej said that about 177 No's 33kV feeders were impacted, with 176 already restored. Of the 742 affected 11kV feeders, 699 have been rectified. The remaining feeders under outage are also expected to be restored by night. CMD APSPDCL K Santosha Rao said that in APSPDCL ,4 No's 33kv feeders got affected of which 2 have been rectified and balance two feeders' rectification are under progress. He said that nine of the 13 11kv feeders affected have been rectified and the remaining 4 feeder rectification will be completed shortly. The chief secretary stressed the importance of maintaining uninterrupted power supply to all critical services, particularly drinking water supply facilities. He directed that every level of the power utilities from linemen to the chairman must stay alert and responsive to any issues, ensuring timely action and seamless power restoration wherever required. Alternative arrangements have been made to ensure power supply to critical areas and services through rerouting and backup systems where feeders are still undergoing restoration works. This has helped minimize inconvenience to the public and maintain continuity of essential services during the ongoing repair efforts.