Power outages hit services badly

Anantapur: Rayalaseema region facing power crisis on Sunday morning following the indefinite strike by the Vidyut Joint Action Committees since Saturday night. Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa districts are facing power cuts affecting the essential services including water supply, medical and railways. People are facing drinking water crisis even in urban areas due to power cuts. The indefinite strike by the Genco employees against the Centre’s apathy towards Seemandhra people in connection with ongoing agitation over state bifurcation, had serious impact on power generation at major sources in the region. Power generation affected at seven units of right bank power generation system at Srisailam reservoir in Kurnool district and five units of Rayalaseema Thermal Power Project (RTPP) tripped after the Genco employees at all levels joined indefinite strike. Sources said, 1050 MW power generation was hit at the RTPP in Erraguntla in Kadapa district. The Samaikyandhra activists forced to close four units on Saturday at RTPP causing power crisis in Kadapa, Anantapur and Bengaluru city. The power strike had clear impact on Kurnool and Hyderabad city with seven units each with capacity of 110 MW generation at Srisailam fails to generate power with employees joining the agitation. As a result, many substations were tripped at distribution centers plunging three districts in dark. At least 900 villages of Kurnool district were facing power cut since Sunday morning. A 400 KV capacity substation at Somayajulapalle, 200 KV susbstaion at Nannur, 440 KV substation at Gooty, all 220 KV substations in Anantapur district were tripped disrupting power supply. Medical services were badly hit in many government hospitals in the region. Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences has suspended all kinds of outpatient and inpatient services, including surgical services till further notice due to power shutdown and indefinite availability of power supply in Puttaparthi in Anantapur district However, emergency cases will be dealt with on a case by case basis, institute director said. Similarly, doctors were dealing with emergency cases at Kurnool, Anantapur and RIMS hospitals in the region. Railway authorities suspended goods trains and diverted a few trains in other routes. Drinking water problem being witnessed at all parts of corporations, municipalities and mandal headquarters following power cut. Civic authorities unable to pump drinking water through pipelines to private and public taps. Next: Stones fly as YSRC, Congress men fight Stones fly as YSRC, Congress men fight Anantapur: Tension prevailed at Tadipatri town after the YSRC and Congress activists pelted stones against each other during the bandh against bifurcation of the state. The YSRC called for 72-hour bandh on Friday protesting against the unilateral decision by the Centre to carve out the Telangana state. The YSR Congress activists had damaged travel agency reservation booking centre belonged to Congress MLA J.C. Diwakar Reddy on Saturday for running the centre on the day of bandh. The activists damaged computer and furniture at the travel agency. While enforcing the bandh on Sunday, the YSR Congress party activists led by its constituency leader V. Rami Reddy forced the business establishments to shut down and join in the bandh However, former municipal chairman J.C. Prabhakar Reddy, brother of MLA Diwakar Reddy came along with his men and asked the traders to open business establishments against the bandh. With this, both the groups were clashed near Nandyal road and started pelting stones against each other. Additional forces have been rushed to the spot and police laticharged on the violent mobs to disburse from the spot. Police picket is posted at Tadipatri. Revenue minister N. Raghuveera Reddy had also faced an embarrassing situation at Penukonda in the district after a large number of Samaikyandhra activists blocked the minister’s convoy demanding his resignation at Madakasira Road. This incident took place when Raghuveera Reddy was on his way to Madakasira. The Samaikyandhra Joint Action Committee activists alleged the minister was not spelt even a single word against the state bifurcation and enjoying the position as minister. Responding to the demand by the activists, Raghuveera Reddy said that he would quit the post and join the Samaikyandhra agitation. Later, activists allowed him to travel. Meanwhile the 68th day of ongoing agitation had paralysed normal life at all parts of the district. YSR Congress activists led by Anantapur MLA B. Gurunath Reddy staged a rasta roko on NH-44 road at Tapovanam here. Large number of vehicles stopped during the rasta roko between Anantapur-Bengaluru route. Teachers JAC, which has been agitating since 68 days, held a protest rally at the district headquarters. The APSRTC buses were confined to their depots incurring huge losses for the corporation. Additional forces have been deployed at all sensitive parts of the district to avoid untoward incidents.