NAGERCOIL: Gingerly holding an electricity pole, three TNEB workers try to restore a pole to its original position without affecting the rubber trees. The entire operation is over in a few minutes and the workers swoop down on the next uprooted pole. These workers are the vital cogs in the grander machinery that is tasked with restoring power to the blacked out areas in the wake of Ockhi.
As many as 6,320 TNEB workers are working round-the-clock to restore power back to the district.
One foreman from Tirupur reviewing the restoration works near Balmore told the Express, “We have to finish the works as soon as possible. The maximum time allotted to finish restoration is one hour. For the past six days, we have been moving from camp to camp, staying at different places and working at odd times so that the restoration is complete as soon as possible.” Another foreman added that they haven’t had a proper sleep for days and have restored the poles at 10 villages in the past six days.
Speaking to Express, another labourer fixing the lines in the poles near Palkulam, said, “While people are pointing the workers that the electricity supply has not been restored or they do not have drinking water, they are unaware that thousands of workers are working day and night away from their homes for the past six days without proper sleep or food. As many poles and wires are stuck between rubber trees, we have to make careful efforts to not damage them. When people see us, they understand the work we do and help us.’’
Senior IAS officers deputed to bring home lost fishermen
Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said senior IAS officers are to be deputed to help fishermen to return home. He also said that according to the lost fishermen families, they may be stranded in the deep sea areas in Mangalore, Gujarat, Maldives and Lakshwadeep. A senior IAS officer each has been deputed to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Lakshwadeep and Gujarat from where details are being collected through Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres.
Weather system gives TN a miss, moves to Andhra-Odisha coast
Chennai: The well marked low pressure area over Southeast Bay of Bengal has intensified into a depression, but is likely to move towards Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast, giving Tamil Nadu a complete miss.
S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said the weather system will not bring any significant rainfall activity in the State. However, due to westerlies flowing, there would a dip in minimum temperature. Until this system fizzles out, there would be very little rainfall in the State.