Hyderabad: The Metro electricity network has suffered damages amounting to Rs 30 lakh from the thunderstorm on Tuesday.
The Attapur, Kattedan and Nandi Musalai Nagar 33kv and 11 kv substations were submerged for half a day, while the 51 HT and LT poles were pulled down by gusting winds. The distribution transformers at apartments whose cellars were submerged have been temporarily switched off.
A major task ahead is the removal of trees and branches that fell onto electricity lines; the lines will have to be replaced. Power tripping is still witnessed in many areas due to ongoing repairs.
A senior official from the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd (TS SPDCL) said, “On Monday, 51 electric poles collapsed, and tree branches disturbed electric lines, The fire department was roped in to drain out knee-deep water at Attapur 33/11 kv, Nandi Musalai Nagar and Katendan substations. With five power distribution stations having burst, the department switched off power as a precautionary measure. The overall damage incurred a cost of Rs 30 lakh.”
It took the department 24 hours to lay new wires and restore power supply. Trees should be regularly examined, pruned when necessary and weak trees should be either translocated or their bases strengthened.
For each branch that falls on a power line it takes an hour for workers to restore the line. In case of an uprooted tree, it takes more than five hours.
