Chandrababu Naidu asks power utilities to restore power supply in the rain-ravaged areas

Hyderabad, Sept.23: Keeping in view the unprecedented heavy rains in various parts of the State, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has issued instructions to the power utilities to take up all precautionary measures like deploying special break-down restoration teams in the affected areas for restoration of power supply on the war-footing basis. He also directed them to implement a fool proof mechanism for ensuring the accident-free electrical system for the safety of general public which is the utmost priority of his Govt. Disclosing the details, Ajay Jain, Prl. Secretary, Energy, I&I, CRDA, who has appraised the C.M on general power supply position in the context of heavy rains, after having a detailed review with K.Vijayanand, CMD/APTRANSCO & MD/APGENCO, K. Ranganatham, Advisor, Energy Dept, and CMDs of DISCOMs M.M. Naik & H.Y. Dora and other top officials said that the C.M has directed to continue educating the public on electrical safety measures during the rains. Ajay Jain, directed the DISCOMS to ensure that the “Consumer Care Call Centres” work continuously round the clock and inform the status of restoration to the public. He also directed to initiate measures for educating consumers, especially farmers to safeguard themselves from possible electrical hazards duly keeping away from service wire connections from the Distribution Transformers to the agricultural pump sets as generally more number of electrical accidents take place during the monsoon period. Sri Jain requested power officials/staff not to avail holidays/leave till heavy rains are subsided for extending the best services to the consumers. CMD/APTRANSCO, K. Vijayanand, reiterated that field officers should take up all the precautionary measures and emphasised the need to reinforce preventive maintenance such as i) Ensuring of proper earthing in substations & near Distribution Transformers, ii) Trimming of tree branches near the power lines, iii) Restringing of loose lines, erection of intermediate poles, iv) Providing of stay wires, v) Providing stud poles for support, vi)Replacement of damaged poles, etc. CMDs of DISCOMs informed the Govt., which none of the EHT Substations and Power Transformers were affected. Pole to pole inspections is being carried out vigorously to check the condition of poles, insulators, availability of spacers, to remove the foreign materials on the lines. The Centralized Breakdown (CBD) Gangs are continuously attending the complaints and taking up the restoration works. CMDs of DISCOMs appealed to the general public to cooperate with the local officials in continuing the maintenance works which are in full swing. The consumers can dial the following Toll-free numbers for any queries/ complaints on the power supply.