Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

No end to power woes

By G. V. Ramana Rao

VIJAYAWADA, AUG. 2. Though the revamping of the power distribution system at a cost of Rs 22 crores is nearing completion there seems to be no decrease in the number of breakdowns. Power consumers of Patamata section had to forgo sleep on Sunday night due to a conductor malfunction. Consumers in Ajitsinghnagar section missed popular television programmes on Sunday afternoon following a breakdown that took nearly two hours to rectify. Power supply was disrupted from 9 pm to 1 a.m.

There were frequent interruptions in the supply of power on Monday in the same section because of a `jumper cut'. The strong gales that lashed the city on Saturday and Sunday were made the culprits responsible for the breakdowns.

The divisional electrical engineer, G.Pattabhi Rama Rao, said Vijayawada city was given the largest amount of Rs 22 crores under the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Project (APDRP). The Southern Power Distribution Company was able to get more funds under the scheme than any of the other discoms and Vijayawada got a larger amount than Tirupati under the project.

Old power lines were also being replaced to reduce transmission losses and provide un-interrupted power supply to consumers. Fifty per cent of the fund was an outright grant and the remaining half was a loan which the company can repay in easy instalment.

As many as 180 new transformers were installed to strengthen the power supply system and improve the Reliability Index. The Reliability Index that was a ration between the number of connections and the period of power supply for Vijayawada city was above 90 per cent. The Southern Power Distribution Company has set for itself a target of achieving a Reliability Index of 100 per cent.

`Notice given'

Mr.Rao said power supply was however being shut down for shifting of poles on AS Ramarao Road, BRP Road and Eluru Road and to facilitate special works for Pushkarams. The shutdown was effected only after giving notice to customers through newspapers, he said.

Mr Rao said news substations at Chuttugunta, Gandhi Hill and Surayyapalem had been commissioned and work on three more substations at Gollapudi, Madduru and Yenamalakuduru would begin in a week's time. The new substations would be completed within two months.

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