Floods affect power supply to 237 villages in Godavari districts

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh state electricity department's operation to restore power in flood affected areas in East and West Godavari districts is making rapid strides. In the past three days, more than 19,179 domestic connections have been restored in flood affected areas.

The department has also charged all the 33 KV lines (40 km), 33 KV poles (800 poles) and 33 KV feeders that were affected in the two districts.

Energy secretary and CMD of AP Transco Srikant Nagulapalli said on Friday that power supply would be restored to the affected villages within 24 hours of recede of water in the areas. At present the receding of water level is in slow pace and every effort is being made to restore power as soon as possible. The EPDCL has chalked out an action plan to restore power in all villages and submitted to the secretary.

Secretary is conducting teleconferences with officials to take stock of restoration works in which engineers of various levels up to DEs are participating.

Chairman & Managing Director of APEPDCL Nagalakshmi S said that 140 villages in 22 mandals of East Godavari were affected due to floods. She said that four 33/11KV substations with 40 km of 33KV line, 20 11KV feeders with length of 112 km and LT line of 120 km, 1526 distribution transformers, 3021 agricultural services and 16002 non-agricultural services were affected in the district.

Similarly, 97 villages in five mandals were affected due to floods in West Godavari district due to which two 33/11 KV substations with ten 11KV feeders, 570 distribution transformers, 618 agricultural services and 14373 non-agricultural services were affected. The cost of damage has been estimated as Rs 2.26 crore so far to the department.

The energy secretary has instructed director, Grid & Transmission, APTRANSCO, K Praveen Kumar to monitor the progress of works and personally visit the affected villages.

According to the action plan prepared by officials, power supply will be restored in Yetapaka, V R Puram, Kunavaram and Chintoor mandals by August 24 and Devipatnam mandal by August 26. Similarly, the power restoration works will be completed in Velairpadu mandal of West Godavari district by August 21, Kukkunuru mandal by August 22, Achanta and Elamanchili mandals by 23 and Polavaram mandal by 25 of this month.

The EPDCL CMD also said that power has been restored in 17 mandals out 27 and 116 villages out of 237 villages and 19,179 non agriculture connections out of 30,375 connections and 1286 agriculture connections out of 3,369 connections affected in both districts.