Corona effect has returned to haunt Chennai. The blackouts on Wednesday night in many areas of the city was caused by damage to insulators (caused by flashing) in the high tension towers of feeder lines from generating stations in north Chennai conveying power to Tondiarpet and Mylapore substaions.
The power disruptions were felt in several areas including, Washermenpet, Tondiarpet, Royapuram, T. Nagar, Anna Salai, R.A. Puram, Mylapore, Perambur, and Purasawalkam, for more than three hours.
G. Anna Durai, a resident of Moolakothalam near Washermenpet, said there was no power supply for more than three hours. With hot and humid conditions, most of the residents spent the nigh sleepless, he added.
The power supply which was cut off to the substations little past midnight on took almost over three hours to be restored.
A senior Tangedco official said as six feeder lines supplying power from the generating stations of north Chennai to Tondiarpet and from Manali to Mylapore substations resulted in the blackout. The damage caused by heavy winds combined with industrial pollutants made it impossible for power to be evacuated from the North Chennai thermal stations. The power shutdown, coming on the day the Vallur thermal plants being shutdown, raised fears of power shortage. There were also rumours of technical snag in the North Chennai thermal stations, which has a capacity of 1,830 mega watt (MW). However, Tangedco official denied of any technical snag to the thermal power stations or the shutting down of the Vallur plants had any impact on this power blackout.
The city had a similar blackout on April 30 last year where major portions of the city including, south Chennai were left without power. The power blackout came in the backdrop of the State recording the highest demand of 15,343 MW and consumption of 345 million units (MU) on April 29 last year.
