Power cuts will be back again to haunt the public from Tuesday. A steep fall of 1,500 MW in thermal energy generation in the State has left the Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (SPDCL) with no option except to re-impose power cuts. Vijayawada city will have shutdown for three hours in two spells from 7 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. Machilipatnam town will also have power shutdown for three hours from 6 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. and 12 noon to 1.30 p.m.
All other municipalities will have shutdowns for four hours from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 12 noon to 2 p.m. and mandal headquarters for six hours from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 12 noon to 3 p.m.
There will be no power supply for agricultural feeders: Group-A from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Group-B from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Group-C from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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According to a press release by SPDCL Superintending Engineer B. Mohan Krishna, power generation in NTPC units was crippled by shortage of coal due to strike by employees of Mahanadi Coalfields and shutdown of Unit-II of Simhadri Thermal Power Plant at Visakhapatnam, Unit-I in Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station and Unit-V at Rayalaseema Thermal Power Project.
The SPDCL is therefore forced to resort to load relief in its operational areas and has requested consumers to bear with the inconvenience.