Discoms bear the brunt of incessant rains, suffer heavy damage

With flood water yet to recede in many places under the jurisdiction of the Northern Discom the repairs to the damaged power infrastructure is yet to begin

The two power distribution companies of Telangana – Southern (TSSPDCL) and Northern (TSNPDCL) – have suffered heavy damage/loss of their infrastructure in the ongoing spell of incessant rains and the restoration work is still in progress in some areas of the Northern Discom as the flood water is yet to recede to a safe level.

At a virtual review held on Friday Chairman and Managing Director of Southern Discom G. Raghuma Reddy enquired about the damage and restoration work with chief general managers, superintending engineers and divisional engineers.

They informed the CMD that a total of 2,770 electrical poles were either damaged or uprooted and 34 transformers had become defunct/burnt in the rains in 16 districts under the Discom. They included 605 electrical poles and 7 transformers in the Greater Hyderabad area. All the damaged poles and transformers were replaced/restored and there was no problem in supply/distribution of power.

The Discom engineers and authorities have been instructed to focus on measures to prevent damage to poles and transformers since it was only the beginning of the rainy season. The CMD has instructed the operations and stores staff to function even on holidays to attend to any emergencies.

The Northern Discom has borne the maximum brunt of incessant rains and the authorities have estimated the damage in financial terms at about ₹20 crore in 17 districts under the utility. Chairman and Managing Director of the Discom A. Gopal Rao visited several inundated habitations and a few affected sub-stations in and around Hanmakonda and Warangal on Friday. He stated that the restoration work was still in progress as the water was yet to recede to a safe level in several residential areas.

He instructed the engineers to restore snapped power distribution lines in Kakatiya Colony and pump out waterlogged around Yadavanagar and Gopalapur sub-stations and restore power supply to areas depending on supply from the two installations. The CMD stated that a large number of poles, distribution transformers running into thousands and power conductor (line) running into 100s of kilometres were damaged in the incessant rains in Hanmakonda, Warangal, Mulugu, Jayashankar-Bhupalapally districts.

Two officers and contract agencies for each badly affected district were given the responsibility to take up restoration work on war-footing.