Denizens heaved a sigh of relief after the two-day strike by Andhra Pradesh electricity employees was called off on Monday night, but it had fuelled the demand for diesel. The strike had pushed the State towards a crisis, and the public and industrial sectors had a tough time managing the situation in the last two days.
Many fuel stations in the city teemed with customers demanding barrels. “Usually, we sell about 2,000 barrels everyday, but during the last two days the sales doubled to 4,000 barrels due to high demand. This explains the situation,” says M. Narayana Prasad, a fuel station owner at Autonagar.
Other sectors, especially hospital managements had to sweat it out to ensure uninterrupted power supply. “Generally, premium hospitals use 250 kVa power generators, which consume 35 litres of diesel per hour. During the strike period, we used about 800 litres excess diesel per day for ensuring regular power supply,” says Ramana Murthy of Andhra Hospitals.
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Though, ventilators, monitors and life saving equipment are equipped with UPS facility, one cannot take chances during emergency cases. Imagine the plight of small hospitals and diagnostic centres, which use low power generators, he adds.
The city was plunged into darkness late on Monday night following interruption in power supply for over two hours in many areas. Residents in many colonies ventured out onto the streets in the night and were fuming over authorities about the power cuts and their implications.
“Elderly people and children have to sleep at nights and one cannot go to bed without fans and coolers during summer season. Not everyone can afford inverters and alternative power supply options due to financial constraints. Authorities should avoid power cuts during night times,” fumed Koteswara Rao, a resident of Satyanarayanapuram.
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