Fallen trees hampering power restoration

PUDUCHERRY: Uncleared uprooted trees have been hampering the restoration of power even as several areas continue to remain without power for the fourth day. This has also resulted in nonavailability of water in several areas of rural Puducherry as many water supply units are totally dependent on power supply and are not supported by generators. Sources in the electricity department said they were awaiting the clearance of the trees to restore electricity connections. “We have isolated such areas and connected the supply to other surrounding areas,” said an official.  Of poles to areas where the electric poles had been damaged was also causing delay in restoration of power. Though the electricity department claims that there are sufficient poles as well as aluminium wires, the delay in restoration of power supply has been in moving the items, say officials.The damage to grid tower at Karikalampakkam,   through which power is drawn from Tamil Nadu and supplied through Bahour auto SS, has also resulted in nonavailability of power at South Puducherry villages . The villagers of Panithittu and Narambai  showed their aggression at sub-deputy collector when she visited the villages on Monday. To add to their woes even an ambulance could not reach a house, as the uprooted trees remained uncleared. The relatives of the patient had to carry the patient to the ambulance on the main road which was more than a kilometre away.However, the electricity department claimed that by evening the supply from the grid to Bahour auto SS had been restored. Similarly Kalapet region supplied by power from Bahour 230 KV sub-station and Kalapet 110 KV substation also remained affected. The fault at 110 KV sub-station at Kalapet has been corrected and power would be resorted, said the official.But small pockets like veterinary staff quarters at Kurmbapet, portions of Ashok Nagar will have to wait longer till uprooted trees are cleared, the official added. Meanwhile, the electricity department has made available generators to operate the motors for supply of water, said the official.