VIJAYAWADA: Special Chief Secretary (Energy) K Vijayanand said the State government swiftly restored the power network after a deep depression made landfall near Kalingapatnam in North Andhra late on September 23 and early on September 24, causing extensive disruptions across the State.
To protect grid stability and expedite restoration, APTRANSCO and the State distribution companies — APEPDCL, APSPDCL and APCPDCL — launched coordinated restoration measures. Gale winds of 55 to 65 kmph, gusting up to 75 kmph, accompanied by torrential rain, caused trees to fall and triggered transmission line flashovers across several districts. Anticipating the severity of the weather system, the power utilities activated round-the-clock emergency control rooms across the State.
Vijayanand said emergency restoration teams have already energised 18 feeders and two critical power transformers, while work on the remaining infrastructure is nearing completion.
Floodwaters inundated the 132kV Common Point Sub-Station in Visakhapatnam. Engineering crews immediately deployed heavy-duty dewatering systems to pump out water.
Teams replaced damaged insulators on 400kV Rachagunneri-Chittoor-1 feeder and restored the line. In Vizianagaram circle, emergency teams rectified the fault on the 220kV Maradam-Bobbili-1 feeder within hours. They cleared trees that had fallen on the 132kV G Chodavaram-Bhogapuram-II line and charged the circuit.
Teams inspected, serviced and safely re-energised key power transformers on priority. These included the 100 MVA PTR-2 at the Palamaner 220kV Sub-Station and the 100 MVA PTR-1 at the Dairy Farm 220kV Sub-Station in Visakhapatnam. Teams immediately cleared transient line trippings across the Kurnool, Nellore, Guntur and Vijayawada circles.