KADAPA: Several villages plunged into darkness as rain accompanied by heavy gales uprooted hundreds of electric poles and transformers in Jammalamadugu, Proddatur and other mandals in the district on Sunday night. The heavy gales blew off asbestos sheds, uprooted trees and haystacks. However, no casualties were reported from anywhere.
Rain with heavy winds lashed Jammalamadugu, Proddatur, Mylavaram, Peddamudium, Kondapuram and Muddanoor mandals. Officials said that over 470 electric poles and 40 transformers were uprooted. The electricity department officials pegged the total loss at Rs 2.2 crore. They have taken steps on a war- footing to replace the damaged electric poles and transformers to restore power supply to the villages at the earliest.
APTransco Superintendent Engineer M Shiva Prasad Reddy inspected the damaged transformers and uprooted electric poles. The uprooted trees obstructed traffic at several places. The new buses of Gouthami School were damaged when trees fell on them, school director Sudhir Naidu said. Meanwhile, the rain brought big respite to the people from sweltering heat.