TIRUICHY: With wind speeds touching 40-50 kmph in Tiruchy over the past week, triggering the collapse of electricity poles, trees and scaffolding at several locations, the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) has begun identifying weak and damaged electricity poles to prevent accidents and minimise weather-related power disruptions.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Tiruchy has been experiencing strong surface winds, between 30 kmph and 50 kmph, over the past week. This has led to multiple incidents, including the collapse of 18 electricity poles across agricultural fields near Lalgudi on Friday after their rusted bases reportedly gave way.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported as noone was working in the fields then. The incident disrupted power supply for several hours in Abishekapuram, Paramasivapuram, Srinivasapuram, Nannimangalam and nearby villages.
A senior TNPDCL official told TNIE that the district has 498 feeders, and officials have been instructed to inspect vulnerable infrastructure across all sections. “Most of the issues involve insulator failures and weak poles. We have directed field officials to identify vulnerable poles and replace them in phases over the next three months before the onset of monsoon,” the official said.
The official added that special attention has been given to rural areas, particularly agricultural fields where waterlogging around electricity poles weakens their foundations and increases the risk of collapse. However, officials said the replacement process often faces delays as some residents request that poles be shifted to locations more convenient for them. Such relocations require separate approvals and cannot be carried out immediately, affecting the pace of implementation.
TNPDCL has also instructed field staff to undertake tree pruning in areas where weak branches or trees are located close to overhead power lines. The move follows another incident three weeks ago when a tree near the Military Canteen in the Cantonment area was uprooted during strong winds, bringing down an electricity pole on a passing car and injured two persons.
Scaffolding collapse raises construction safety concerns
Strong winds on Sunday evening also led to the collapse of scaffolding at a private building under construction near a private hospital on Salai Road, raising concerns over the safety of temporary structures erected along busy roads. M Raffiq Mohammed, a resident of Cantonment, urged the Tiruchy Corporation and the Labour Department to conduct regular inspections of scaffolding installed at construction sites.
“While TNPDCL has taken preventive measures to avoid power-related accidents, the Corporation and the Labour Department should also inspect scaffolding erected along public roads. Many such structures appear to lack adequate safety measures,” he said.
