The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Sileru hydel stations vulnerable

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 31, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Sileru hydel stations vulnerable

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The blasting of the control room of Donkarai hydro-electric station by naxalites late on Tuesday night, highlights the vulnerability of the chain of the hydel stations built on Sileru river in the thick jungles bordering East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts.

There are four hydel stations on the river that flows down into Andhra Pradesh from the forest-filled hills of Orissa -- Machkhund (AP's share 84 MW), Upper Sileru (240 MW), Donkarai (25 MW) and Lower Sileru 460 MW).

In a similar incident last year, the ultras blasted a portion of Lower Sileru which could be restored only after a month.

In Tuesday's blast, an assistant engineer suffered a minor injury when a splinter of glass panel hit him. In fact, he came out of the station on being warned by the extremists that he would face repercussions otherwise.

As hydel stations can be activated by pressing the button, there will not be many employees at these places. Usually, an engineer and his assistant are available.

Security will also be minimal with only one or two men being posted for the purpose.

The AP Genco has so far avoided deployment of armed contingents, fearing the risk of the stations being attacked by naxalites to snatch away weapons.

"Any posting of armed police attracts more attacks rather containing them," a senior official said.

The Genco proposed an integrated security system to the hydel stations in risky areas with deployment of forces like CISF but the proposal has not been cleared by the Government.

Meanwhile, G. Adiseshu, director (hydel) A P Genco, rushed to Donkarai. Only five panels in the control-room have been found damaged. Main equipments like turbine have been spared.

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