Power restoration works in full swing in flood affected areas

-APEPDCL in 24X7 operations to restore power
-Power supply to be restored to affected villages at the earliest, says special chief secretary energy K Vijayanand
-Energy department put official machinery on high alert at all times to face any kind of emergency
-Spl CS informs Minister for Energy Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy on the progress of restoration works

Vijayawada, Neti Patrika Prajavartha :
The Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) power restoration activities are in full swing to restore power supply to normalcy in flood affected areas in the districts of Alluri Seetharama Raju, Konaseema, East Godavari, Eluru and West Godavari.
During the review of Special Chief Secretary Energy, K Vijayanand with APEPDCL, the Chairman & Managing Director of APEPDCL, K Santosha Rao said that power supply would be restored to the affected villages at the least possible time. At present, as the floods have reduced, the receding water level is at a better pace and every effort is being made to restore power as soon as possible.
The APEPDCL has already chalked out an action plan to restore power in all villages and submitted it to the special Chief Secretary. The Special CS asked officials to take stock of restoration works in which engineers of various levels up to DEs are participating.
The CMD of APEPDCL said that 415 villages in 12 mandals of 5 districts including Alluri Seetharama Raju, Konaseema, East Godavari, Eluru and West Godavari were affected due to floods. He said that 8 Nos 33/11Kv substations with 250 kms of 33Kv line, 46Nos 11KV feeders with 4022 Nos distribution transformers, 5453 Nos agricultural services and 71443 Nos non-agricultural services were affected in the APEPDCL Jurisdiction. The cost of damage has been estimated as Rs 1.53 crore so far to the department.
More than 35936 No’s domestic connections have been restored in flood affected areas in the past three days. Around 35,507 domestic services which belongs to the fully submerged mandals of Chintoor, V.R.Puram, Kunavaram, Yetapaka of ASR District and Kukunuru and Velarupadu mandals of Eluru district could not be restored as of today.
APEPDCL established a 24×7 call center for each division to restore power. Electricity department charged all the 33 kv feeders that were affected in Five districts. Power supply has been restored to affected villages within 24 hours of receding of water in the areas. APEPDCL put all officials & Staff on high alert at all times to face any kind of emergency. Director /operation, Chief Engineers & General Managers were deputed from the corporate office, besides monitoring the rectification works personally.

He said the restoration of power supply has been completed in most of areas where the water levels receded except in Rampachodavaram & J R Gudem Divisions where submergence is high and the department will swiftly act and restore power supply in flood affected villages on a war footing. The Staff of EPDCL are working tirelessly to restore power amid adverse conditions due to the flood.

The special CS has appreciated the diligent efforts of CMD/APEPDCL and his team for round the clock power restoration works amid adverse conditions due to the flood and instructed DISCOM officials to monitor the progress of works and visit the affected villages. He also directed DISCOMs to depute the local officers in the rank of executive engineers from other wings besides the operation wing engineers for early restoration of power supply. The required men and material has been made readily available for execution of works.
Vijayanand further said that as the uninterrupted power supply was the ultimate goal of State government, the energy department had put the official machinery particularly the power utilities on high alert at all times to face any kind of emergency and was placing fool proof arrangements that helps to restore power supply to the areas, especially in districts which gets affected in adverse weather conditions, within a short period.
He informed the progress of power restoration works to the Minister for Energy PeddiReddi Ramachandra Reddy. The Minister emphasized the need for a concrete plan that could help to reduce uncertainty after a disaster such as floods, cyclones and heavy gales etc., and allow officials to better plan for short and long term power restoration operations on a war footing basis and avoid financial and infrastructure related losses as well.
CMD APTRANSCO, B Sreedhar and JMD APTRANSCO, I Prudhvi Tej have also participated in the meeting. The CMDs of APCPDCL & APSPDCL, J Padma Janardhana Reddy and H Haranatha Rao have come forward and assured CMD/APEPDCL, K Santhosha Rao for any necessary support by them in restoring power in the flood affected districts.